Hazardous Metropolis: Flooding and Urban Ecology in Los Angeles

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments In the course of researching and writing this book, I have been blessed with abundant help. Arthur McEvoy has been a personal and scholarly model for more than a decade, and it is to him that I owe the greatest thanks for anything that is creative in this project. Whenever recommending one of his favorite books or his foolproof model for writing, he often promised me, "This will change your life." My studies with him did. Another special thanks goes to Richard Orsi, a boundless source of editing assistance and research advice who has gone well beyond even fatherly duties to nurture this book and its author. The book has also benefited from the contributions of many others. Mary Coomes, Bill Cronon, Colleen Dunlavy, Mark Fiege, Glen Gendzel , Lynne Heasley, Ari Kelman, Phoebe Kropp, Bill Philpott, Jenny Price, Sara Pritchard, Louise Puhols, hrnanda Seligman, Rebecca Shereikis , Marlene Smith-Baranzini, Greg Summers, and Marsha Weisiger read drafts of this work and offered many useful suggestions along the way. Henry Binford, Turpie Jackson, Florencia Mallon, Most Rothstein, Frank Safford, Michael Smith, and Robert Wiebe also contributed to this project indirectly by cultivating my intellectual development in general . One of the best things about working in the Colorado State history department is having Mark Fiege as a colleague; he read multiple versions of the manuscript, and our frequent conversations always spark new ideas. I have been deeply humbled over the last few years by how much I have come to look up to my younger brother, Peter Orsi, who xii Acknowledgments copyedited the entire penultimate version of the text and whose writing advice greatly improved the manuscript. Finally, I owe a debt I cannot repay to a fabulous editor and historian and a dear friend, Graham Peck; it often seemed that he spent as much time with the manuscript as I did. In the course of working on the project, I have had the privilege to meet many wonderful individuals who have taught me much about southern California environmental history. Dave Rogers took an early interest in my work, patiently explained the technical aspects of floodcontrol engineering, and opened to me his private collection of California civil engineering history and maps. Blake Gumprecht shared with me his vast knowledge of Los Angeles history and geography. Anthony Turhollow guided me through the materials at the Public Affairs Office of the Los Angeles District of the Army Corps of Engineers. Ron Lockmann was another invaluable contact at the corps, generous with his time and historical materials. Sarah Elkind was a constant intellectual comrade, always ready to talk L.A. history or to share research notes. And Jenny Price was a witty, insightful, and energetic partner on the many field trips we took exploring the banks and the bed of the Los Angeles River. I also owe thank-yous to Geoff Barta, Peter Blodgett, Randy Brandt, Patrick Chan, Bruce Crouchett, Dennis Crowley, Bill Deverell, John Engemann , Irv Gellman, Bob Gottlieb, Wil Jacobs, Lewis MacAdams, Carol Marander, Chris McCune, Char Miller, Natalia Molina, Chi Mui, Sarah Pfatteicher, Peter Reich, Martin Ridge, Ray Sauvajot, Janet Sherman , Mark Stemen, Dace Taube, Linda Vida, Jim Williams, Paul Wormser , and Terry Young, who contributed in ways too numerous and varied to itemize. The book also bears the imprint of several scholars whom I have never met, but whose intellectual influence on me goes beyond what this book's frequent citations of their work can convey; among these are Stephen Jay Gould, John McPhee, and Charles Perrow. Generous financial support was provided by the California Institute of Technolog); Colorado State University, the Haynes Foundation and the Historical Society of Southern California, the Huntington Library, Northwestern University, the Society for the History of Technology, the University of California Humanities Research Institute, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The editorial and production staff at the University of California Press shepherded this project through the publication process, and three outside reviewers provided fresh suggestions that helped me tackle revisions. Acknowledgments xiii I also want to acknowledge with gratitude the family and friends who provided meals and lodging, cars, camaraderie, Dodger tickets, and assorted other kindnesses that made my research trips to California thoroughly enjoyable: Suzame Brown, Paul Cheng, Andor Czigeledi, Bonnie Hardwick, Beth Hessel-Robinson, Lauren Lassleben, Don and Suzie Orsi, Rae Orsi, and Barbara, John, and Mark Pesek. Finally, I am grateful for the unconditional and unwavering love from my family...