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John Gregory Dunne, Mark Royden Winchell

Western Writers Series Digital Editions

In the January 1981 issue of Horizon, John Lahr writes: “California is a state of amateur outdoorsmen—of runners, of swimmers, of bikers, of sailors, and of golfers. Here, the surface of life can be enjoyed without analysis. Amidst the sun, surf, and caesar salads, intellectual stimulation is never a high priority.” He goes on to trash those who “never question the consequences of Los Angeles or the California scene . . . —the general absence of community, the moral stupor, the greedy self-aggrandizement, and the emotional impoverishment that characterize and enchant the place” (“Entrepreneurs” 39). These comments, so typical …