The California Legacy Project is a project through Santa Clara University that aims to “increase public appreciation of California’s literary and historical legacy and to promote the critical understanding of California diversity (CLP Mission and Goals). It also strives to bring together the importance of literature and history in California culture. Partners and supporters of the CLP include the Santa Clara University English Department and College of Arts and Sciences, Inlandia Institute, and Sacramento State Center for California Studies. The project includes a series of books and radio productions.
The radio productions are a series of short podcasts that give previews of many of the books included in the CLP. Of the authors whose work is mentioned, my favorite is John Steinbeck. On the CLP website, there are six radio podcast scripts about Steinbeck’s work in Cannery Row (1945), “The Great Mountains” (1933), Travels with Charlie: In Search of America (1962), and Grapes of Wrath (1939). Each podcast gives a little bit of context as well as excerpts from the novels that describe California scenery, the style that Steinbeck was known for.
I think that the CLP is a very good project, especially because California History is very rarely taught. Personally, I find it very interesting, and always go to the California History Museum I am home in Sacramento. By knowing about California history, we can better understand the nature of our diversity today.
Great introduction to the California Legacy Project. I am bummed I did not find John Steinbeck’s radio podcast scripts, he is also one of my favorite authors. I think it is important for the Santa Clara University community (faculty and students included) to have appreciation for California history. We need to be aware of how things became to be what they are today.