Deeper Oakland: A Geologist's Walk Around Lake Merritt
Hello Subscribers,
I've scheduled the first full-fledged, ticketed Lake Merritt walk for this coming weekend: Saturday the 13th, from 2 to 5 pm. I'm trying out ticket sales via Eventbrite and charging $25. Enrollment will be limited to 25 people. Feel free to spread the word.
We'll be meeting at a different place from the two previous rehearsal/tune-up walks: here by the cheerful entrance to Children's Fairyland. It's a handy location for parking, either along Grand Avenue or inside Lakeside Park, or of course you can arrive on foot or via the 12 bus line, which stops right there.
If you can't make it, I will repeat this walk on the second Saturday of each month for the rest of the year, weather permitting. Next up, a walk among the buildings and landscape of downtown Oakland.
California Against the Sea
That's the provocative title of a book by Rosanna Xia, the Los Angeles Times's coastal reporter, that's coming out in September. I had the chance to read it in galleys and found it a compelling and comprehensive look at California's coast as we face rising sea levels. You may have read about beach erosion, seacliff retreat, threatened beachfront properties and related issues -- Xia ties together all these topics with journalistic flair, introducing a memorable assortment of people: scientists, environmental managers, civic officials, homeowners, activists and people whose livelihoods come from the Pacific. Their voices all belong in the deep conversation Californians need to have as hard decisions come due. The subtitle, Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline, signifies the bracing fact that the future is not predetermined: we have a say in the directions we take.
Look at This
This luscious piece of serpentine rock (serpentinite) came from the side of Route 128 near Lake Berryessa, on the flanks of Capell Creek. I know exactly where, and some day when I get around to it I'll take it back there. For now I love it sitting on my bookshelf. Most of our Oakland serpentine is bluish and less glossy, but there are bits similar to this in the Crestmont neighborhood, especially along Crestmont Drive.
Book News
I have deployed seven copies of Deep Oakland to Little Free Libraries around Oakland, each one marked with stickers indicating that they're meant for permanent free circulation. Here are the addresses, although there's no guarantee the book will be waiting for you. After a while, they might be anywhere. I always check those cute sidewalk boxes, just because. In addition, I was told by newly retired librarian Dorothy Lazard that the book has been added to the Oakland library's History Center, and presumably to a branch library or two I hope.
Upcoming is a book signing event -- outdoors, at the Grand Lake Farmers Market in Splash Pad Park, on Saturday 20 May, from 10 to 1. I'll speak a bit, sign books a bit, and my generous and talented friend David Gans will provide music. This will be the first appearance at the farmers market sponsored by Walden Pond Books. They'll have other titles on display and for sale. Hope you can turn out and help this whole thing succeed. It's the best farmers market in town, and we have several good ones.
Thanks for reading.
Andrew