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Features
They Left Their Hearts in San Francisco
A trio of frescoes reveals the turbulence and passion of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s marriage. By Gary Kamiya • Photos by Chris Hardy
Coming Soon: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego
By Emily Wilson
Some of the world’s leading guitarists are helping a nonprofit bring music to at-risk students in nearly 100 schools in the U.S. By Matt Jaffe • Photos by Christina Gandolfo
The Seeker
Drawing on personal and national histories, Lava Thomas’s art centers the experiences of many Black Americans. By Faith Adiele
They Build Rockets Here
Astra aims to be a courier service for space, offering daily launches and delivering small payloads to orbit. Will Hearst in conversation with Chris Kemp
The Sounds of Space (Movies)
By Tim Greiving
Think Different
Space travel is just the beginning. We’ll soon do anything there we can do on Earth—and more. By Robert C. Jacobson • Illustrations by James Ransome
Have Space Agent, Will Travel
By Ajay Orona
Get Ready for a 10,000-hour Round Trip
Traveling beyond Earth’s orbit is highly toxic to humans, yet we’re likely to do it anyway. How scientists are preparing for this cosmic guinea pig experiment—and how it might turn out. By David Ewing Duncan • Photos by Annie Mulligan
What to Read on Mars
By Ajay Orona
Poetry: “Lady Stardust”
By Ishmael Reed
Space Invaders
Life on Earth takes second stage as Elon Musk’s quest for Mars moves forward on the South Texas coast. By Kate Greene • Photos by Jason Henry
Songs of the Stars
By Ajay Orona
Getting Away from It All
By Ajay Orona
The Ultimate Solar Power Plant
Forget photovoltaic cells on rooftops. A bold project aims to capture the sun’s energy in space and beam it to Earth. By Sarah Scoles • Photo by Gregg Segal
The Startup that is Looking Up
By Nasim Ghasemiyeh
Design That Is Out of This World
Why space fashion may be an unlikely beneficiary of the rocket boom. By Monica Corcoran Harel • Illustration by Tim O’Brien
The Asteroid Hit and Miss List
By Nasim Ghasemiyeh
Alta Picks: How to Experience Space Without Leaving Earth
By Jessica Blough, Nasim Ghasemiyeh, and Ajay Orona
How I Bought a Russian Space Suit
A tale involving the owner of a Silicon Valley diner, his chance meeting with a Russian army general, a visit to Moscow—and $12,000. By Jamis MacNiven • Photo by Chris Hardy
A Salon for Space Lovers
Led by Bill Nye the Science Guy, the Planetary Society promotes exploration across generations—and platforms. By Robert Ito • Photos by Gregg Segal
Painting the Heavens
By Jessica Blough
Evel Knievel, Astronaut
The strange but true Truax story of the world’s first private space program. By Adam Fisher • Illustrations by Mark Smith
The Moon is Cool Again
By Jessica Blough
Blaze of Glory: The Fate of the International Space Station
By Ajay Orona
Alta’s 2022 Favorite Bookstores
Our Favorite Bookstores
85 independents serve their communities— one devoted customer at a time. By Blaise Zerega
Greater San Diego: The Book Catapult
Once a humble blog, this San Diego mainstay delivers books and community. By Amy E. Wallen
More San Diego Area Bookstores
By Amy E. Wallen
Los Angeles Area: Eso Won Books
The emancipatory power of reading is alive and well at this Black-owned landmark. By Michael Jaime-Becerra
Los Angeles Area: Skylight Books
Inspired window displays set the tone for one of Los Angeles’s most inclusive literary hot spots. By Michael Jaime-Becerra
More Los Angeles Area Bookstores
By Michael Jaime-Becerra
Desert/Sierra: Booktown Books
Lose yourself in this labyrinth of reading pleasures. By Marcus Crowder
Desert/Sierra: Space Cowboy Books
Joshua Tree’s only bookstore is from a galaxy far, far away. By Ken Layne
More Desert/Sierra Bookstores
By Ken Layne
Central Coast: Henry Miller Memorial Library
At this one-room cultural center, stories come from the trees. By Mark Wallace
More Central Coast Bookstores
By Mark Wallace
Central Valley: Underground Books
This anchor of a Sacramento neighborhood filled the void left by the local library’s closure. By Sara Borjas
More Central Valley Bookstores
By Sara Borjas and Jane Ciabattari
The nation’s oldest Black-owned bookseller is still here—and thriving. By Faith Adiele
Bay Area: The Booksmith
This indie offers readers an escape from the buzz of Haight Street. By Faith Adiele
More Bay Area Bookstores
By Faith Adiele and Jane Ciabattari
North Coast: Tin Can Mailman
A former bank in Arcata now serves as a quiet reprieve from today’s complicated world. By Joy Lanzendorfer
More North Coast Bookstores
By Joy Lanzendorfer
Oregon: Mother Foucault’s Bookshop
An old-world charm awaits those who enter this literary paradise. By Santi Elijah Holley
More Oregon Bookstores
By Santi Elijah Holley
Washington: Left Bank Books
A slice of antiestablishment culture thrives in a Big Tech haven. By Claire Dederer
More Washington Bookstores
By Claire Dederer
Other Notables: The Writer’s Block
Readers get their thrills at this literary underbelly of Las Vegas. By Scott Dickensheets
A Few More Bookstores Worth Exploring Across the West
By Kim Cross, Scott Dickensheets, M.T. Hartnell, Jim Lewis, Anne Pedersen, Julian Smith
Books
Open Your Eyes, Edward James Olmos
The 1948 book American Me has long been overshadowed by the film of the same name. It’s time for that to change. By Gustavo Arellano • Illustration by Steve Carroll
Books Were My Saving Grace
By Luis J. Rodriguez
Why You Should Read This: Always Running
By David L. Ulin
My Book Came Out and Nothing Happened
By Rabih Alameddine
Why You Should Read This: The Wrong End of the Telescope
By David L. Ulin
‘The Rules at the Pool’
By Julie Otsuka
Why You Should Read This: The Swimmers
By David L. Ulin
You Can’t Save What You Don’t Love
After suffering a massive stroke, Marianne Wiggins sought help
to complete her new novel, Properties of Thirst. By David L. Ulin • Photos by Dustin Snipes
Alta Serials: Properties of Thirst
By Marianne Wiggins • Illustrations by Victor Juhasz
Dispatches
Trailblazer: Amika Mota
Fighting the system’s Goliaths. By Jessica Klein
Culture
Poetry: “Echoes” and “Rain Break”
By Kim Shuck
Fighting Oppression with Diamonds
The history of hip-hop suggests that it could one day lead to greater participation in capitalism by Black people—for the good of all. By Ishmael Reed • Photos by Marissa Leshnov
Why This Art: De Kooning Showed Me a Master Painter’s Trick
By Nick Aguayo
All Power to the People
A decades-spanning L.A. jazz collective “passes the magic” to a new generation. By Mike Sonksen • Photos by Gregg Segal
Public Purpose, Public Art
Mildred Howard may not set out to create political works, but the powerful statements they make cannot be ignored. By Carla Blank • Photos by Christie Hemm Klok
Poetry: “Friend Poem”
By Rachel Richardson
In Every Issue
Publisher’s Note: The Promise of a New Space Age
By Will Hearst
