Journal of Alta California

Featuring great stories, in-depth reporting, beautiful photography, smart thinking — Alta is the magazine and website that bring you everything California.

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Journal of Alta California

The Promise of a New Space Age

Open Your Eyes, Edward James Olmos • The 1948 book American Me has long been overshadowed by the film of the same name. It’s time for that to change.

By KIM SHUCK

Fighting Oppression with Diamonds • The history of hip-hop suggests that it could one day lead to greater participation in capitalism by Black people—for the good of all.

THEY LEFT THEIR HEARTS IN SAN FRANCISCO • A trio of frescoes reveals the turbulence and passion of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo’s marriage.

COMING SOON: EL ÚLTIMO SUEÑO DE FRIDA Y DIEGO

De Kooning Showed Me a Master Painter’s Trick

All Power to the People • A decades-spanning L.A. jazz collective “passes the magic” to a new generation.

INSTRUMENTS OF CHANGE • Some of the world’s leading guitarists are helping a nonprofit bring music to at-risk students in nearly 100 schools in the U.S.

THE NEW SPACE AGE

THEY BUILD ROCKETS HERE • Astra aims to be a courier service for space, offering daily launches and delivering small payloads to orbit.

THE SOUNDS OF SPACE (MOVIES)

THINK DIFFERENT • Space travel is just the beginning. We’ll soon do anything there we can do on Earth—and more.

HAVE SPACE AGENT, WILL TRAVEL

GET READY FOR A 10,000-HOUR ROUND TRIP • Traveling beyond Earth’s orbit is highly toxic to humans, yet we’re likely to do it anyway. How scientists are preparing for this cosmic guinea pig experiment—and how it might turn out.

WHAT TO READ ON MARS

By ISHMAEL REED

SPACE INVADERS • Life on Earth takes second stage as Elon Musk’s quest for Mars moves forward on the South Texas coast.

SONGS OF THE STARS

GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

THE ULTIMATE SOLAR POWER PLANT • Forget photovoltaic cells on rooftops. A bold project aims to capture the sun’s energy in space and beam it to Earth.

THE STARTUP THAT IS LOOKING UP

DESIGN THAT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD • Why space fashion may be an unlikely beneficiary of the rocket boom.

THE ASTEROID HIT AND MISSS LIST

HOW TO EXPERIENCE SPACE WITHOUT LEAVING EARTH

HOW I BOUGHT A RUSSIAN SPACE SUIT • A tale involving the owner of a Silicon Valley diner, his chance meeting with a Russian army general, a visit to Moscow—and $12,000.

A SALON FOR SPACE LOVERS • Led by Bill Nye the Science Guy, the Planetary Society promotes exploration across generations—and platforms.

EVEL KNIEVEL, ASTRONAUNT • The strange but true Truax story of the world’s first private space program.

THE MOON IS COOL AGAIN

BLAZE OF GLORY: THE FATE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

OUR FAVORITE BOOKSTORES • 85 independents serve their communities—one devoted customer at a time.

The Book Catapult • Once a humble blog, this San Diego mainstay delivers books and community.

MORE SAN DIEGO AREA BOOKSTORES

Eso Won Books • The emancipatory power of reading is alive and well at this Black-owned landmark.

MORE LOS ANGELES AREA BOOKSTORES

Skylight Books • Inspired window displays setthe tone for one of Los Angeles’s most inclusive literary hot spots.

MORE LOS ANGELES AREA BOOKSTORES

Booktown Books • Lose yourself in this labyrinth of reading pleasures.

MORE DESERT/SIERRA BOOKSTORES

Space Cowboy Books • Joshua Tree’s only bookstore is from a galaxy far, far away.

Henry Miller Memorial Library • At this one-room cultural center, stories come from the trees.

MORE CENTRAL COAST...