Ambrose Bierce & Helen Hunt 
California – A State in Verse 

California in the 20th Century became an almost mythical place of stunning scenery, glamorous industries, and fabled places; Hollywood, LA, San Francisco, as well as a people and culture that varied from wacko to incredibly creative. It was where the world wanted to be and took its lead from. From an earlier history as home to many Native American tribes it was taken by Spain to become part of its huge Americas Empire. After a successful war of independence from Spain, Mexico became a vast, but weak, sovereign nation. After a war with the United States this huge area from Texas to California was settled into the States we know today. As citizens made their way west, initially with the California Gold Rush, also in 1848, in search of better lives poets travelled too and over the decades documented their feelings about their land – California. Others, including Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain may only have been passing through but what they found their demanded written confirmation. In this collection of California Versed poets share something that is uniquely Californian.