From West to East: California and the Making of the American Mind

Stephen Schwartz, author of From West to East, believes that California is a paradigm of radicalism, American style. "California was radical from the beginning," he writes. "...it stands apart... in that its cultural identity is that of radicality; not based on a radical ideology or ism per se but, experientially rather than conceptually, ever embodying the new." Moreover, Schwartz argues that the idea of American culture spreading from East to West with westward migration is actually a misconception; he posits that, in reality, a wholly unique, multicultural society formed in California has been influencing the nation ever since. From the Spanish Conquest through the Red Scare and to the Berkeley free-speech movement, Schwartz documents the state's history, weaving its disparate strands into a tapestry of labor unions and captains of industry, artists, politicians, soldiers, and martyrs. From Hollywood films to the poetry of Allen Ginsberg and the presidency of Ronald Reagan, California has played a key part in helping shape America's image of herself, a role Stephen Schwartz attempts to chronicle in From West to East.