Golden State experts Gustavo Arellano and Stacey Grenrock Woods tackle Californians’ skills behind the wheel, apparent moves to Texas, and the best year we ever had. altaonline.com/dispatches/a6…

An L.A. artist’s work conjures driving, labor, the Aztec Sun god, and Mickey Mouse. altaonline.com/dispatches/a6…

Author Adam Hochschild recommends five titles exploring U.S. democracy’s history, its challenges, and the people who have helped shape it. altaonline.com/books/nonfict…

Food writers Brock Keeling and Tamara Palmer list their seven food wonders of California, from classic Italian cioppino to a delicious drive-thru burger. altaonline.com/events/a63252…

The collision of art and science is too broad a topic for an arts festival. But the result is divine. altaonline.com/culture/art/a…

Historian and activist Susan Stryker traces the evolution of gender as a concept. altaonline.com/books/nonfict…

Artsy transplants—and a grateful generation of returning locals—are reimagining the once-forsaken Central Valley city. altaonline.com/dispatches/a6…

Discover California’s bestselling books this week, featuring titles by Bonnie Garmus, Yotam Ottolenghi, Madeline Miller, and more. altaonline.com/books/a742216…

Author Adam Hochschild recommends five titles exploring U.S. democracy’s history, its challenges, and the people who have helped shape it. altaonline.com/books/nonfict…

Remote Sensing, at the Center for Land Use Interpretation, charts the emergence of the top-down view. altaonline.com/culture/art/a…

Henry Miller’s The Air-Conditioned Nightmare reminds us of our dystopian roots. altaonline.com/books/nonfict…

A love letter to L.A.’s freeways. altaonline.com/culture/archi…

In “Letter from Beirut,” Charles Glass reflects on the city’s enduring cafés, culture, food, and resilience amid decades of war and upheaval. altaonline.com/dispatches/a7…

The jazz musician’s community has been destroyed by wildfires, but its legacy of spiritual devotion remains. altaonline.com/dispatches/a6…

These professionals sort your stuff—and your life. altaonline.com/dispatches/a7…

A tribute to a view of the vastness of the West. altaonline.com/dispatches/a6…

An ode to the endangered birds that delight those lucky enough to witness their flight. altaonline.com/dispatches/a6…

Decades before Spotify came to dominate our ears, William Goldsmith brought handpicked music to listeners across the internet. He’s still at it—and so is his daughter. altaonline.com/culture/music…

In How We Know Our Time Travelers, Anita Felicelli considers the body as a conduit of time. altaonline.com/books/fiction…

In this newsletter, we introduce Rigoberto González as the special guest to discuss Cherríe Moraga’s Native Country of the Heart. altaonline.com/california-bo…