California history Archives - Julia Flynn Siler

California Book Awards

August 20, 2021 by Julia Flynn Siler Leave a Comment

Founded in 1931 during the depths of America’s Great Depression, the Commonwealth Club’s California Book Awards celebrated its 90^th anniversary this year.

The purpose of the awards is to highlight the work of California authors – a praiseworthy goal at a time when the publishing industry (then and now) remains focused on East Coast writers.

Over the years, many of the most important voices in American literature, such as Joan Didion, Ishmael Reed, Amy Tan, Hector Tobar, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, have been honored with California Book Awards.

History Written by the Victors….

July 7, 2021 by Julia Flynn Siler Leave a Comment

For an example of history being written by the victors, consider the case of Jane Lathrop Stanford, the victim of one of California’s most puzzling unsolved murder mysteries.

Leland, Jr. and Jane Lathrop Stanford, courtesy of Stanford Special Collections

As co-founder and primary benefactor of Stanford University, Jane died of strychnine poisoning in 1905 in Waikiki. For nearly a century, the fact of her murder was successfully covered up.

The key figure involved in that cover-up was the university’s first president, David Starr Jordan. He was the victor in shaping how history judged Jane’s contribution as a leading educational philanthropist over the next hundred years or so.

Awarded Two Golden Poppies!

March 24, 2020 by Julia Flynn Siler Leave a Comment

Each year, the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) presents its Golden Poppy Book Awards “to recognize the most distinguished books written by writers and artists who make Northern California their home.”

I learned yesterday that The White Devil’s Daughters, my history of a pioneering group of women in Chinatown that fought human trafficking at the turn of the 20^th century, won Golden Poppy awards in two categories: regional interest and nonfiction.

This is an honor bestowed by the people who nourish Northern California’s thriving literary culture: its independent booksellers. The NCIBA has recently joined with its Southern California counterparts to form the California Independent Booksellers Alliance (Caliba.) Thank you!