The authors: Michael Chabon, Thomas Steinbeck, Dana Gioia, Matt Warshaw, Patt Morrison, T. Jefferson Parker, Edward Humes, Mark Arax, Deanne Stillman, Rubén Martínez, Percival Everett, Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Mary Mackey, Gerald Haslam, Aimee Liu, D.J. Waldie, Héctor Tobar, Firoozeh Dumas, devorah major, Carolyn See, Chryss Yost, Anh Do, Derek M. Powazek, Daniel Weintraub, David Kipen, Veronique de Turenne . Edited by: Donna Wares . Introduction by Pico Iyer

Click here to get e-mail updates on the project.

Spring 2008: My California has already raised about $90,000 – and counting – for writing programs for children in California. Talk about a little book with a big heart. And we’re delighted that five California cities – Long Beach, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, Whittier, and Benicia – have chosen My California as One-City, One-Book picks. The northern California community of Benicia is reading the anthology in March and April.

Long Beach Reads My California! The Long Beach Public Library Foundation has selected our anthology for its next community book during the city's upcoming Book Week, March 12-18, 2006. There's weekly art workshops, a citywide essay contest and book events all over town. The Port of Long Beach has donated $25,000 to print a special edition of the anthology for Long Beach schools and libraries. "We all have a story about California and Long Beach," says Susan Redfield of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, "and the book opens up our minds and our hearts to find our own story." Browse upcoming My California events here. The little book that could: The My California Project celebrates the wonderful success of My California: Journeys by Great Writers by presenting the California Arts Council with $43,000 -- and counting -- from sales of this special anthology. My California is in its third printing. And the authors are still making the rounds of cool book events.

The Place We Call Home: The Los Angeles Times Book Review included My California in its special Dec. 5, 2004 section on the best books of 2004. In his piece about California books, Jonathan Kirsch writes: "My California: Journeys by Great Writers... is a lively collection of travel writing by 27 authors who paint much more than a series of quaint and colorful scenes. The book is full of reflective and illuminating moments, and each of the contributors manages to transcend the thoroughly respectable genre of travel writing to achieve something more exalted."

Being There: September 23rd at the Autry National Center, Angel City Press and CaliforniaAuthors.com gave the California Arts Council a check for $10,000 — the first, but not the last, proceeds from the sales of My California.

We're thrilled that the money will go toward writing programs for children statewide. Many of the authors who contributed to this special travel anthology joined us for a celebration generously hosted by the Autry.

Arts Council member Michael Alexander accepted the check enthusiastically, even as he noted that the latest crop of California teachers is the first generation to complete their own education since the state slashed arts in the public schools. Alexander said he hoped that the efforts of so many in California's literary community to create My California would be the first step toward restoring arts education in our schools.

Many thanks to the Autry's wonderful staff, particularly David Burton and Wendy Esensten, for hosting such a terrific My California evening. And thank you to My California contributors Veronique de Turenne, Anh Do, Edward Humes, David Kipen, Aimee Liu, Mary Mackey, Patt Morrison, Carolyn See, Deanne Stillman and D.J. Waldie for being there, as always.

"The generosity on this project doesn't stop," said Angel City Press Publisher Paddy Calistro. "We keep waiting to see what good things will happen next!"

In the Spotlight: The National Assembly of State Arts Associations features My California as September's Web Spotlight. Thanks NASAA!

My California on the Central Coast: Edward Humes sends a dispatch from the Sept. 18 Santa Barbara Book and Author Festival:

We couldn’t have asked for a warmer, more enthusiastic reception than the one that awaited us Saturday in Santa Barbara, where hundreds of book lovers crammed De la Guerra Plaza and My California was a featured act. Sales of My California (all of which benefit arts education and the California Arts Council) exhausted the supplies on hand before our panel had even said a word — the books, literally, flew off the table (including my own copy)! Fortunately, Borders Books came to the rescue with an extra box of books after our host, the Book Den, sold out. My California contributors Thom Steinbeck, Patt Morrison, Chryss Yost and I found an audience deeply interested in our project and in discussing additional ways to support the arts in our communities and our schools...

Read more at CaliforniaAuthors.com.

Holiday shopping idea: Special thanks to California Assemblymember Joe Simitian who bought 100 copies of My California: Journeys by Great Writers and recently attended a special My California evening at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. The Palo Alto democrat plans to give the anthology as gifts to friends and constituents.

Their stories: Patt Morrison hosted a terrific Aug. 25 Air Talk show with three fellow My California contributors — Gerald Haslam, Anh Do and Derek Powazek. They are so eloquent and passionate talking about their very different corners of California and the importance of supporting arts education. You’ll want to listen here.

Super Sunday: My California jumped onto the Los Angeles Times bestseller list on Aug. 15. The anthology debuted at No. 9 on the paperback nonfiction list. The same Sunday The San Francisco Chronicle featured Michael Chabon's "Berkeley" essay in a splashy Living section package. You'll want to read the essay here. Chronicle Living Editor Paul Wilner penned an accompanying piece that explains the mission of this special book in support of the beleaguered California Arts Council and school writing programs statewide.

Wonderful Westwords: The August 1 edition of the Los Angeles Times Book Review features a beautiful review of My California by Jonathan Kirsch. "We've been offered several roughly comparable collections in recent years," writes Kirsch, "including Writing Los Angeles, edited by David L. Ulin, and The Misread City, edited by (Dana) Gioia and Scott Timberg. My California is both more and less ambitious at once: The book considers all of California rather than just Los Angeles but presents itself as a travelogue rather than a work of scholarship and criticism. Still, it is full of reflective and illuminating moments, and each of the contributors manages to transcend the thoroughly respectable genre of travel writing to achieve something more exalted." Read more of the review at californiaauthors.com or see the full article at latimes.com (registration required.)

Making the lists: My California debuted on July 28 as the #15 non-fiction paperback on the Southern California Booksellers Association Bestsellers list!

Village Books hosted a bustling My California event on July 29 (opposite John Kerry's DNC acceptance speech!). Carolyn See ("Waters of Tranquility") and David Kipen ("How Many Angels") signed dozens of books for eager readers. Read publisher Paddy Calistro's event recap at californiaauthors.com.

San Francisco celebration: MyCalifornia trekked to San Francisco’s Books by the Bay on July 17 and contributors Firoozeh Dumas (“Bienvenidos a Newport Beach”), David Kipen (“How Many Angels”) and Matt Warshaw (“Surfacing”) signed copies for an enthusiastic crowd of book lovers. Read Firoozeh's report here.

Media Bistro hosted a jam-packed LIT party at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art July 13 to help celebrate My California: Journeys by Great Writers. Publisher Paddy Calistro, editor Donna Wares and authors Thomas Steinbeck, Carolyn See, Aimee Liu, Edward Humes, Veronique de Turenne and David Kipen — sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with California state flag — were warmly greeted by a festive L.A. media crowd. Read a full report at the Elegant Variation. MediaBistro.com.

Recommended reads: "These Days," a KPBS show at San Diego State, includes My California on its summer reading list.

Today's beach books: After a rousing beach volleyball game in the middle of Manhattan, The Today Show's Katie Couric retired to a beach chair and was joined by San Francisco Chronicle book critic David Kipen with his trusty summer reading list in hand. David's got a great list, as always, and we're happy to say that My California is featured prominently.

BookExpo: My California's debut at BookExpo America — the publishing industry’s annual convention and marketplace — was a great success. Malloy Incorporated generously hosted a My California booth featuring contributors T. Jefferson Parker, Kathi Kamen Goldmark and David Kipen. The project was warmly received by California book community. Read a report from the show at californiaauthors.com.

Read an excerpt: See Pico Iyer's introduction to My California at CaliforniaAuthors.com.

Holiday guide: The Southern California Booksellers Association has graciously donated space for My California in the association's holiday catalog. Visit the SCBA's new website.

My California goes national: Publisher's Weekly features My California in its May 10, 2004 issue with the headline, "Lit Community Rallies to Help California Arts Funding." Read more (subscription required).

CAC News: In his April 21 newsletter, outgoing California Arts Council Director Barry Hessenius enthusiastically announced My California to the arts community and expressed his gratitude to all of the contributors. "My intent was to apply 100% of these proceeds to literacy-based Arts in Education projects ... We hope that you will buy a copy for yourself (or as a wonderful gift for those on your list) and help us spread the word and promote this extraordinary work." Read his entire newsletter here.

March-April 2008: The Northern California community of Benicia reads My California. On Tuesday March 18, My California contributor and Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub joins Patty Milich of the California Arts Council to dicuss the book at the Benicia Public Library. On Wednesday, March 19, authors Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Gerald Haslam, and Mary Mackey take readers on a very special literary road trip as they share their stories at the library. The library has set up a blog inviting readers to comment on My California as they read the essays.

April 26-27, 2008: Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at UCLA. Stop by the Angel City Press booth near Royce Hall to pick up your copy of My California.

My California is available at many bookstores and online retailers. For additional information, please message info at californiaauthors.com.