Gerald Haslam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerald Haslam (b. 1937) is the author credited with having created an awareness of "the other California" (in a book of the same name), the state's untrendy small town and rural reaches. A native of Oildale in the Bakersfield area, he has often written about the Great Central Valley (also in a book of the same name), about country music ("Workin' Man Blues"), about the despair and exaultation of blue-collar people in a golden state ("That Constant Coyote," "Condor Dreams," "Straight White Male", etc.), winning numerous literary awards. Reviewer David Peck labeled him "the quinessential California writer." Haslam was a professor at Sonoma State University for 30 years. He is also the father of computer-game innovator Fred Haslam.
