{"id":481954,"date":"2026-10-01T20:32:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T20:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/481954\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T20:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T20:32:12","slug":"california-dreams-with-miriam-pawel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/481954\/","title":{"rendered":"California Dreams with Miriam Pawel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pulitzer Prize\u2013winning journalist Miriam Pawel\u2019s latest work, California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California, examines the groundbreaking history of one of the world\u2019s elite public universities. She recently spoke with Santa Barbara Independent contributor Brian Tanguay, cofounder of the California Review of Books, who previously reviewed the book (tinyurl.com\/2vz6acy5<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before we talk about your book, can you talk about your evolution from journalist to award-winning author?<\/p>\n

I was a working journalist for 25 years. One of the last stories I worked on was a series about the United Farm Workers for the Los Angeles Times. During the course of that project, I did my first dive into archives and history. One of the things I learned was that events of the past often help us interpret the present. That was how I became interested in the discipline and craft of history. I fell in love with archives.<\/p>\n

What led you to structure California Dreams as you did? What were some of the challenges you faced in telling this story?\u00a0<\/p>\n

It was important for me to figure out a focus for the book that was doable. It\u2019s an enormous subject, and I wanted to focus on how the UC transformed individual lives and the state more broadly. I wanted to anchor the narrative in people who represented different eras.<\/p>\n

The opposition of UC Regents to expansion in Los Angeles seems puzzling in retrospect, given what UCLA became. Why were the Regents reluctant to establish what you refer to as The Twig?<\/p>\n

You can still trace the ongoing differences between northern and southern California, and between Berkeley and UCLA. A sense persisted for a long time of superiority in the north. There were so many social and economic differences between the two regions. In addition, the UC president at the time was concerned about crossing USC, which didn\u2019t welcome competition from a public university.<\/p>\n

Local readers will no doubt be most interested in UC Santa Barbara, from its humble beginnings as a teacher\u2019s college on the Riviera to its current status as a major research university. One of the people you write about is Dick Flacks. Who was Flacks, and why is he an important figure in UCSB history?<\/p>\n

He was an important person in both UCSB history and the larger university. He was very influential in changing how the university structured its admissions. He was a remarkable teacher and mentor. He brought a lot of intellectual firepower to the campus, and of course some controversy due to his involvement with Students for a Democratic Society.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What most surprised you in researching and writing this book?\u00a0<\/p>\n

The existence of a secret society at Berkeley came as a surprise. The Order of the Golden Bear, with its secret room. I was surprised that it existed and that so few people, even to this day, have heard of it. I was also struck by how each campus is unique. That was Clark Kerr\u2019s vision, that each UC campus would have similarities, but maintain a unique identity. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite many challenges and changes since its founding, the UC system still inspires widespread loyalty and admiration. What accounts for that public perception, and are you optimistic that it will survive an era when universities are questioning their mission?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Throughout this process I\u2019ve been struck by the relationship between Californians and their university. There\u2019s a strong sense of ownership and pride that you don\u2019t find in other states. I think that\u2019s part of its resilience. I think history offers hope that the UC will emerge from the current crises; history shows that the UC reflects the times as well as shaping them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Miriam Pawel will discuss California Dreams: The Making and Remaking of the University of California on October 15 at Godmothers in Summerland (tinyurl.com\/4znhb3h<\/a>) and November 1 at Chaucer\u2019s Books (tinyurl.com\/muaeyu4z<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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