Alta Journal

"Whatever else we might say about 2020, it was an astonishing year for books." Books editor, David Ulin delivers a message of hope in his note about the books covered in our new issue: https://trib.al/Iuq1HI3

Safi Alia Shabaik and Paul Kuroda will be sharing new work and discussing their photography tomorrow at 12:30pm PT! Spend your lunch hour looking at something beautiful, and register now: https://trib.al/UYnPYDA

Author Seth Greenland worries he’s not interesting enough to write a memoir in this excerpt fromhis memoir.

Alta books editor David L. Ulin finds that amid a crisis, the soul of our culture still survives.

What are your plans for the weekend? Looking for something to do? Head out on an adventure to help us locate The Well of The Scribes! We are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the recovery of this long lost fountain.

San Francisco reinstated artist Lava Thomas's winning design for a Maya Angelou monument outside San Francisco Public Library: https://buff.ly/2TYlq2U This October, we asked Bay Area artists, writers, and activists who they think deserve a public statues: https://buff.ly/34ZdSDk Featuring picks by Thea Matthews, Roberto Lovato, Carol Edgarian, Brant Terry, Micki Meng, Dwight Smith, Kim Shuck, Vanessa Hua, and Tabitha Soren!

In honor of our latest Noir Issue, we are giving away limited-edition copies of Dashiell Hammett's "Arson Plus" from Thornwillow Press to the FIRST 100 people to join, renew, or give a gift membership of Alta Journal! Join our community here: https://buff.ly/32dImzD.

We're going live in ONE HOUR with Keenan Norris and Susan Straight. Register here: for another important Alta Asks Live!

It's time to don your fedora, and join Alta Journal's hunt for "The Well of the Scribes." We are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the recovery of any part of this fountain. Read all about the missing fountain here: https://buff.ly/2TG00ra and drop us a line with any information at [email protected]. Reward: https://buff.ly/2HSSxmz

Escape into a world of your own creation for a little bit today with @AltaJournal’s Noir Story Contest! The perfect opportunity to try your own hand at writing a story or flex your writing muscles! Details to enter and prizes here: https://www.altaonline.com/dispatches/a8995/noircontest/

"A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky defies the typical language of literary investigation to hover above and around the work," writes Niela Orr in her review of Lynell George's new book on Octavia Butler. Read Alta Journal's latest weekly book review here: https://buff.ly/326V7fg

THIS Wednesday! An Alta Asks Live you don't want to miss!

Anita Felicelli questions time and desire in her short story about an artist and her marriage. Read her piece for Alta here: https://buff.ly/3kUvp5o

"The Well of Scribes" sounds like an ancient legend your eccentric uncle can be found whispering about at a family gathering, but it's a real thing, and we're looking for it! No idea what we're talking about? Check it out here: https://buff.ly/2TG00ra, and join the hunt.

@jwzack wrote a delightful piece on California artist Wayne Thiebaud for @AltaJournal. Read it here: https://buff.ly/37XN20i