The Golden State continues to inspire author Paul Totah ’79, who mines its curious depths in two new books.
Murder at Beach Chalet, Totah’s sixth book, is a historical mystery exploring the lives of San Franciscans through three wars and the rise of the counterculture movement by uncovering long-buried secrets on a stretch of foggy oceanfront known as the Great Highway.
Meanwhile, Earth, Word, Fire & Water is a collection of poetry paired with landscape photos by longtime friend and neighbor Steve Hornstra following a north-to-south route from Sonoma County down to San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties with a side trip to Yosemite.
“Our hope is that the pairing of photography and poetry inspires readers to translate the beauty they see in nature into something of their own making. When you go for a walk in the woods or by the beach, I hope you find time to create something—a poem, a photo, a painting—anything that will help remind us of the beauty of our world and the need to be good stewards,” Totah says.
Moreover, he also hopes the images and words inspire action, “whether it be something simple like planting a tree or something more complex, like working toward carbon neutrality.”