THE LATEST FROM ALTA
Issue 31: 25 Books That Define California
Inside Alta Journal’s Issue 31.
At Home with the Bean King
Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando built a legume empire. He’s finally relaxing—a little.
25 BOOKS THAT DEFINE CALIFORNIA
Inside Didion and Dunne’s Private Archive
The New York Public Library will soon open the couple’s papers to the public. David L. Ulin got an early look.
Ask a Californian: March Madness Edition
Golden State experts Gustavo Arellano and Stacey Grenrock Woods navigate reader questions about lingo, looks, and license plates.
Sketchbook: Disasters Bring Out Our Best
Matt Mahurin’s artwork channels the devastation and resilience witnessed during the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, offering a visual reflection on loss, community, and hope amid catastrophe.
Latest from the California Book Club
THE MONDAY BOOK REVIEW
Kill an Urchin, Save a Sea
To protect the ecosystem off the coast of Mendocino, divers are smashing urchins as fast as they can.
EVENTS
THE WEEKLY ALTA NEWSLETTER
The Case of the Missing Chacmools
Soon after New Age icon and bestselling author Carlos Castaneda died in 1998, a group of his most loyal followers vanished, and many believed they’d made a suicide pact. Geoffrey Gray investigates the writer’s bizarre cult and finds himself entangled in a web of murky financial dealings, sex, possible foul play—and one death-defying supernatural being.
