When the World Listened to California

C a l i f o r n i a D r e a m i n g 2 2 7 e n c e s as “d u p e s” w h o b u y w h o le sale t h e im p e r ia list m e ssage o f p o p ­ u lar cu lt u r e . W h ile — go o d h ip p ie - t u r n e d - y u p p ie t h a t I am — I’d n e v e r le t m y k id s w a t c h B a y w a t c h o r L A L a w , L A D o c t o r s, o r e v e n , t o c h a n ge c lasse s d r ast ically , L A S h o e S a le sm a n (a k a M a r r ie d . . . w it h C h i ld r e n ), lik e T at u m , I t h in k t h a t w e m u st “c e a se d e m o n iz in g t h e p o p u la r a n d b e gin c o n sid e r in g h o w a t t im e s in e v e n t h e m o st se e m ­ in gly r e t r o gr ad e p o p u la r t e x t s c r it ic a l t h in k in g a b o u t id e als, d r iv e s, c o n t r a d ic t io n s, a n d p r o sp e c t s c a n an d d o e s o c c u r .” C a lifo r n ia ’s r ole as fa n t a sy la n d h a s h a d p le n t y o f d e st r u c t iv e c o n se q u e n c e s: I t h in k o f La n sfo r d H a st in gs w r it in g n o t e s d ir e c t in g t h e D o n n e r p ar t y o n h o w t o ge t t o C a lifo r n ia ; o f t h e k id s o f t h e b r a ce r o field w or k er s I w e n t t o sc h o o l w it h in Sa lin a s, t r a c k e d o u t o f an y c o lle ge p r e p classe s; o f t h e sh u t t in g d o w n o f t h e affir m at iv e a c t io n d r e am in t h e U C sy st e m . . . Bu t , b o u n cy C a lifo r n ia gir l t h a t I am , I ’v e alw ay s fe lt t h a t gr o w in g u p e lse w h e r e w o u ld h a v e le ft m e h o p e le ssly c e m e n t e d in t o c lass an d ge n d e r (u n fo r )giv e n s. Fo r p e o p le lik e m e, C a lifo r n ia p r o m ise d p o ssi­ b ilit ie s...