Features
Sir Francis Drake’s Date with Destiny
Time may be up for the English explorer, whose 1579 landing forms a pivotal moment in the historical narrative of California—and beyond. By Peter C. Mancall • Illustrations by Steve Carroll
Tupac in the Afterlife
Twenty-five years after his murder, Shakur looms larger than ever as new fans connect his lyrics and legacy to Black Lives Matter, social inequity, and poverty. By Santi Elijah Holley • Photos by Christina Gandolfo
A Rat-Filled Casino
Drowsy apes and exorbitant prices were just the beginning. NFTs are stealing the spotlight and upending the art world. Their next trick: unlocking the metaverse. By Ajay Orona
California Is Hog Wild
The state’s bursting at the seams with invasive pigs, to the dismay of biologists, conservationists, and farmers everywhere. By Denise Hamilton • Photos by Gordon Wiltsie
‘The Ways of Fiction Are Devious Indeed’
Finding current relevancy—and outrage—in the accusations of plagiarism that have long haunted a classic of the West: Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose. By Sands Hall • Illustrations by Thomas Ehretsmann
Joan Didion
Joan Didion’s Singular Voice
The late writer knew that stories sustain us—until they don’t. By David L. Ulin
A JOAN DIDION PRIMER
Seven essential books by the author. By David L. Ulin
Joan Didion’s California
Mapping some key spots that informed the author’s oeuvre. By Ava Liversidge and Eleanor Veitch
Trancas 1975
Childhood Sundays in Malibu—with a literary power couple as hosts—set a young writer on his path. By Karl Taro Greenfeld
Personal History: Doug Aitken
By Doug Aitken
Seven Minutes for Joan
Didion’s nephew, Griffin Dunne, remembers the gift of directing the acclaimed documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold. By Griffin Dunne
Personal History: Ane Crabtree
By Ane Crabtree
The Pervasive Loneliness of Play It As It Lays
The 1972 film, much like the novel on which it is based, connects themes of longing and despair with our need to endure. By Lisa Kennedy
Personal History: Bret Easton Ellis
By Bret Easton Ellis
Planting a Tree is Not a Way of Life
Joan Didion’s profound and prescient commencement address to the UC Riverside class of 1975, which was found in the school archives in January. By Joan Didion
Personal History: Janelle Brown
By Janelle Brown
Joan Didion Explored the Undercurrents of Life with Clear-eyed Honesty
Illustration and text by Anita Kunz
Dispatches
Make It Rain
Cloud seeding sounds like science fiction, but it may become a useful tool to combat drought and lessen the risk of wildfires. By Joy Lanzendorfer
Thirsty Burros
The herds of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are caught up in the most western of troubles: the need for water. By Susan Straight • Photos by Tod Seelie
Alta Picks: The Side Hustles of Alta Contributors
Trailblazer: Syren Nagakyrie
Trekking toward an equitable outdoors. By Jessica Klein
Culture
Poetry: ‘Friendship’
By John Freeman
Personal Favorite: The Gift of Freedom in Guston’s Flatlands
By Justin Richel
Ars Poetica
How I found kinship with poets writing about the culture of my hometown, Fresno.
By Teresa Flores
Poetry: ‘Fog Poem Number 71’
By Tongo Eisen-Martin
Far More Than a Building
Frank Gehry is designing the Colburn School’s new concert hall. When finished, it will provide a much-needed performance space for students and for a burgeoning arts corridor in Downtown Los Angeles. By Joseph Giovannini • Photos by Christina Gandolfo
Fiction: ‘Taro’
By Karen Tei Yamashita • Illustrations by Victor Juhasz
Books
She Who Remembers
As a playwright, an activist, and Oakland’s inaugural poet laureate, Ayodele Nzinga boldly forges new narratives from the Black diaspora. By Keenan Norris • Photos by Carolyn Fong
Chasing Your Heroes
By Michael Connelly
Why You Should Read This: The Dark Hours
By David L. Ulin
Nothing Is Funnier Than Unhappiness
By Maggie Nelson
Why You Should Read This: The Argonauts
By David L. Ulin
The Long Con
By Steph Cha
Why You Should Read This: Your House Will Pay
By David L. Ulin
Poems of Lived Experience Backlit by Intimacy
Ada Limón’s new collection, The Hurting Kind, brims with sensory richness and shows her to be a lover of many things: animals, people, and love itself. By John Freeman • Photos by Penni Gladstone
In Every Issue
• Editor’s Note: The Power to Discomfit
By Blaise Zerega