Coast of Dreams: California on the Edge, 1990–2003 by Kevin Starr (review)

B o o k R e v i e w s C o ast o f D r e a m s: C alif o r n ia o n t h e E d g e , 1 9 9 0 - 2 0 0 3 . By Kevin Starr. N e w York : K n o p f, 2 0 0 4 . 7 6 5 p age s, $ 3 5 .0 0 . R e v ie w e d b y C h a r le s L . C r o w R o c k v ille , M ar y lan d T h e seven th volum e in th e Californ ia Dream series com es soon after Em battled D ream s (2002), Kevin Starr’s accou n t o f th e tran sform in g years o f th e Secon d W orld W ar an d th e 1950s. T h e n ew book, issued by a differen t publish er, con ­ tain s som e surprises. It is n ot th e expected study o f th e 1960s an d 1970s. In stead, Starr leaps ah ead to th e 1990s an d th e first years o f th e n ew m illen n ium , up to, essentially, th e presen t. Surprisin g, also, is th e con fession al ton e o f th e in tro­ duction , in w h ich Starr, un settled by riots, crim e, an d th e n atural an d fin an cial disasters of recen t years, adm its to a crisis o f faith . Perh aps h is w h ole series, h is life’s work, h as been a m istake. Perh aps Californ ia is over. H ow easy it w ould be to join th e Californ ia bash ers, to becom e (th ou gh h e does n ot quite say it) like M ike Davis, h is lon g-tim e gadfly adversary, th e an ti-Starr. Yet Starr sum m on s h is resolution , determ in es to retain h is balan ce, an d portrays in th ese years all th at is still h earten in g abou t Californ ia, as well as th e truly appallin g. W ritin g in clipped, jou rn alistic “n otes from th e field,” sayin g h is su bject is too recen t for real history, Starr ran ges up an d dow n th e state, tellin g th e story Eileen Doktorski. T O R N P A G ES. 2004- C ast bronze. 7" x 6" x 3". Cou rtesy o f th e artist. 3 5 4 W e s t e r n A m e r i c a n L i t e r a t u r e F a l l 2 0 0 5 o f th is era (xii). A recession in th e early n in eties, th e result o f cuts in defen se spen din g, gave w ay to a broad recovery an d budget surpluses; but h ard tim es return ed again w ith th e lootin g o f Californ ia’s pow er system an d treasury by “th e boys from Texas.” A n ew govern or, A rn old Sch w arzen egger, faces m an y o f th e sam e problem s en cou n tered earlier by Pete W ilson an d Gray Davis. Th r ou gh th e n in eties, th e state w restled w ith dim in ish ed sch ool fun din g (th e legacy o f th e in fam ous P roposition 13) an d w ith u n con trolled im m igration th at placed ad d ition al stress on its edu cation al system . T h e state w as furth er tested by etern al en viron m en tal issues— earth quake, fire, an d drough t— on ly to be m atch ed...