Patch Blog: Prominent California Historian to Speak at Library

An Author Night with California historian Dr. Kevin Starr and musician Brad Colerick will take place 7:00 p.m. Thursday in the

Starr is easily one of the greatest historians California has ever produced. He is probably best known for his 7-volume series, the highly acclaimed “Americans and the California Dream.” 

His Latest Work

His latest book is “Clio on the Coast: The Writing of California History, 1845-1945” published by The Book Club of California. Club members will be on hand, to sell books and make information available about their fine organization. During the club’s storied history they have honored many great book people of the Golden State, including Lawrence Clark Powell and Ward Ritchie, both of whom grew up in South Pasadena. Powell was one of the top authors of the West and Head Librarian at UCLA for many years and Ritchie was an internationally recognized book designer.

Clio, the Muse of History, inspired many efforts to bring the spirit and practice of history to California in its first one hundred years as an American province. Kevin Starr’s “Clio on the Coast” brings to life the men and women who chronicled and interpreted the story of California through the period and social transformation of the twentieth century.

Starr's Background

Kevin Starr was born in San Francisco and earned a Bachelor’s in English from San Francisco State University in 1962 before he served for two years as a Lieutenant in a U.S. Army tank battalion in Germany. Later he earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in American History from Harvard University. For many years he was a visiting lecturer at many California Universities and in 1989 he became Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at USC. In 1998 he was promoted to University Professor of
History.

Starr served as California State Librarian from 1994 to 2004. In 2009 he published “Los Angeles: Portrait of a City” and 2010 his “Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America’s Greatest Bridge” appeared. That same year he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. During his stellar career he has also been accorded a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Gold Medal of the Commonwealth Club of California.

Musical Entertainment

Brad Colerick has made his living making music for 25 years since arriving in Southern California from his native Nebraska. His music is deeply anchored in the California Folk Rock sound he gravitated toward in his formative years.

Colerick also hosts the popular “ every Wednesday at in South Pasadena, where he plays with an impressive variety of touring singer/songwriters. He’ll be joined for this show by Phil Parlapiano who toured for years with John Prine, as well as stints with Tracy Chapman and Lucinda Williams.

To Know Before You Go

The event will also serve as the Centennial Celebration of the Book Club of California in the southern part of the state—as well as the centerpiece of the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library. Colerick, a South Pasadena-based singer/songwriter, will open the program with some classic songs of the Golden State, along with a few more obscure surprises.

Th event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and no tickets or reservations are necessary. Book Club of California selections will be available for purchase. The Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street.

Check out the attached video to hear Starr discuss San Fran versus L.A.