Hometown Pasadena

Hometown Pasadena by Colleen Dunn Bates (editor)

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Hometown Pasadena Returns!

For a few years, Pasadenans and visitors have been lamenting that the landmark book Hometown Pasadena has been out of print. We’re happy to announce an all-new take on the book, coming in the fall of 2018. It will continue to be a new kind of city book, written by longtime locals who dig deep to reflect the place they find so special. From Altadena to South Pasadena and Old Pasadena and La Cañada, this witty, richly colorful book unlocks the insider secrets of the San Gabriel Valley.

Hometown Pasadena’s first two editions won acclaim from the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and Westways, earned nominations and awards from such organizations as the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association and the Independent Publisher Book Awards, and launched Prospect Park Books, now one of the leading publishers in Southern California.

What to Expect

• Essays from acclaimed hometown writers Lian Dolan, Lynell George, Chris Erskine, Naomi Hirahara, Larry Wilson, Roberta Martinez, Mary Lea Carroll, and Raphael Simon (aka Pseudonymous Bosch)

• Chats with two dozen notable locals, including preservationist Sue Mossman, comedian/actor Maria Bamford, State Assemblyman Chris Holden, teacher Siri Bookani, musician Phoebe Bridgers, food writer Jonathan Gold, Funky Junk Farms proprietor Johnny Agnew, Ted the Goldendoodle, and restaurateurs Jo & John Wee (Daisy Mint and Fig Sprout)

• Wise words from the OG Hometown Pasadena authors: Jill Ganon, Sandy Gillis, Mel Malmberg, Mary Jane Horton, and Colleen Dunn Bates

• Photographs by Karol Franks, Keegan Dunn, Jennifer Cheung, Steven Nilsson, and Paul Click

• Cover art (once again) by Pasadena’s own R. Kenton Nelson

• Insights, amusements, and inspirations

About the Authors

Colleen Dunn Bates founded Prospect Park Books in 2006 with the publication of the original Hometown Pasadena, the success of which inspired her to publish more books. Prospect Park now has a catalogue of more than 70 titles. An L.A. native and longtime Pasadenan, she is also the author and/or editor of many books.

A master gardener and longtime Altadenan, Sandy Gillis is one of the original authors of Hometown Pasadena, as well as the co-author of At Home Pasadena.

A New York native and longtime Pasadenan, Jill Ganon is one of the original authors of Hometown Pasadena, as well as the co-author of At Home Pasadena. She’s currently writing a novel.

Dorie Bailey is the assistant editor at Prospect Park Books and a native Pasadenan.

Lian Dolan is the author of the bestselling novels Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife, as well as one of the Satellite Sisters of podcast and radio fame. A longtime Pasadena resident, she also writes a regular column for Pasadena Magazine.

Born in Altadena, raised in South Pasadena, and now residing in Pasadena, Naomi Hirahara is a true local. She is the author of many books, including the award-winning Mas Arai mystery series, the Ellie Rush mystery series, and nonfiction titles about Japanese American culture, Southern California, gardens, and more.

Lynell George is a journalist, essayist, and author; her books include No Crystal Stair: African Americans in the City of Angels and the upcoming After/Image: Los Angeles Outside the Frame. A former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, she is now at work on a book about the writer Octavia Butler.

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