CATEGORY

Artist and writer Elisha Cooper is new to California, which is why he traveled up and down the state to acquaint himself with it. Along the way he visited numerous locales and encountered dozens of characters that typify the diviersity and rich eccentricity that somehow only the Golden State can accommodate. With an observant eye, he made his way from Eureka to Joshua Tree, Yosemite to Maverick's, spending time with farmers, firemen, water delivery people, and everyone in between. Narrated in Cooper's memorably waggish prose, this sketchbook takes a surprisingly intimate look at the nation's most populous state fleshed out in an evocative, breezy wash of watercolor. Beyond Los Angeles and San Francisco, the two metropolises as different as night and day, California's byways and backroads are amply represened to provide a full detailed picture. For native and visitor alike, California is an idiosycratic tribute to the state that anchors the West and inspires dreamers from around the world.