I had an inquiry the other day about novels set in California’s Inland Empire. The best I could come up with was this list of titles for books set in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties:
• The Chinese Parrot by Earl Derr Biggers (Barstow vic.)
• Clown of Hemlock by Richard Ashby (San Bernardino)
• The Deer Park by Norman Mailer (Palm Springs)
• Desert Town by Ramona Stewart (Barstow)
• The Doomsday Men by J. B. Priestley (Barstow)
• Enchanted Oasis by Faith Baldwin (Palm Springs)
• Fig Tree John by Edwin Corle (Mecca)
• If You Have Tears by Howard Browne (San Bernardino)
• Jacob Peek, Orange Grower by Sidney Burchall (Redlands)
• Takeoff by Cyril M. Kornbluth (Barstow vic.)
• The Vision of Elijah Berl by Frank Lewis Nason (Banning?)
Lots of variety, to say the least.
Very cool.
Do you know of some that are set In Orange County?
(Love your blog, by the way - content and form).
Posted by: Lisa | June 24, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I didn't have much luck. The only book I'm sure is set in Orange County is The Adversary by H. H. Lynde. Probably set there are The Girl from Hollywood by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Cress Delahanty by Jessamyn West (which I haven't reviewed yet). Another possibility Hilda Strafford by Beatrice Harraden. I'm guessing that Orange County didn't have much of a literary scene before 1960. Thanks for the comment about the blog.
Posted by: donnapoli | June 26, 2009 at 05:05 PM
Here are a couple of other titles. The Face of Evil by John McPartland is set in Newport Beach, and The Girl on the Beach by George Sumner Albee is set somewhere between L.A. and San Diego.
Posted by: donnapoli | June 26, 2009 at 08:29 PM
Thanks! I'll look them up - I expect your hunch about OC is right - but I look forward to seeing what these writers saw here so long ago. Thanks again.
Posted by: Lisa | June 26, 2009 at 09:37 PM