Other California

California's Central Valley is defined in the minds of most Americans by The Grapes of Wrath on one hand, and by the LA and Bay Area's contempt for the region that often finds it's way into television and other pop culture references. The former is now an anachronism and somewhat ungenerous. The latter is born of ignorance and parochialism. Haslan brings to us here a number of letters and short stories that bring to life the culture and peoples of the region. Highly recommended both for those interested in learning about this unfairly disparaged land and for the natives of this land who have been raised with the lie that they live in "the armpit of California".