Cultural Writing. California, the Golden State, conjures up a multitude of images: rolling oak-dotted hills, vast desert landscapes, rugges coastal strands, towering Sierra peaks, fertile valleys, glacial lakes, redwood forest, and more. In UNFOLDING BEAUTY, the astounding variety and beauty of Californai are reflected not only in the works of authors like John Muir, John Steinbeck, Wallace Stegner, and Robinson Jeffers, but also in surprising and provocative selections from writers such as Jack Karouac, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, Aldous Huxley, and Charled Bukowski. Reading UNFOLDING BEAUTY is like attending an idyllic banquet, where one after another the eloquent guests — from Mary Austin to Gary Soto — toast Califronia's varied landscapes with descriptions that are themselves the feast — Rebecca Solnit.