The variety and richness of Berkeley — both present day and historically — means that readers constantly stumble on references to the city. California Magazine had the clever idea of capturing Berkeley references in books on its blog (Berkeleyside is kicking itself for not thinking of this first).
They have unearthed 20-some citations and counting. Among the sources are Norman Mailer’s Armies of the Night (you could probably keep this up for years just with references to Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement and anti-war heyday), science fiction writer Philip K. Dick’s autobiographical story The Lucky Dog Pet Store (which is actually The Lucky Dog Pet Shop, and still running), Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49, and Allegra Goodman’s recent The Cookbook Collector (also covered here on Berkeleyside).
Pat Joseph, Executive Editor of California, is eager for suggestions from Berkeleyside readers. One of the entries on his blog refers to George Stewart’s Earth Abides, but this great Berkeley novel surely deserves an entry of its own. Have at it readers. What do you suggest?
