Your contribution to Heyday supports publishing Deep Oakland by Andrew Alden. Heyday is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and contributions are tax deductible.
Deep Oakland offers insightful writing about place from a rare perspective, the intersection of geological and human history, a nexus that allows Andrew Alden to explore concepts of time and impermanence alongside the specific topography of Oakland. Alden’s book braids geology, place, and history together to expand our understanding of a city shaped by the sustained activity of a major earthquake fault; the exploitation of its rich geological resources by mines, farms, and dams; and the erasure of natural habitats for the convenience of commerce—core California elements that allow Alden to address Western geology and history through the stories of one intrepid city.
Alden conveys scientific knowledge with lucid and literary language, teaching how geology creates geography and helping lay readers to understand the science and practice of geology through Oakland’s surprisingly broad palette of physical features. Like Laura Cunningham’s A State of Change, this book helps locals envision what came before the current urban landscape, which allows us to also envision a future that differs from what we know now, a key factor in adapting to climate change and looking beyond the status quo.
Like all Heyday books, Deep Oakland is rooted in a specific experience of place and also speaks to larger human experiences. Funds raised will support the hiring of a cartographer to illustrate detailed maps, enhancing the book’s communication of Oakland’s historical and geological nature. Contributions will also underwrite production costs to ensure this is a beautiful object of learning created with sustainable materials.