The Book of Santa Barbara
Second Edition
When The Book of Santa Barbara was published in 2010, photographer Macduff Everton sought to capture the complexity of this lovely and charmed place. And how he succeeded! He used his panoramic camera to reveal the obvious allure of its geography—the golden beaches and sage-covered hillsides—as well as the inviting Spanish-style townscape. And to those physical characteristics he added incisive portraits of the people who give Santa Barbara its vitality and uniqueness: athletes and scholars, entrepreneurs and farmers, artists and writers.
Happily, the beauty has endured, though it has become obvious over the last decade that nature can temper that beauty with terrifying force. The energy, talents, and resilience of Santa Barbara’s residents have also persisted, often with the aid of newcomers and members of a younger generation. After fifteen years it was to take another look.
And so here is the second edition of The Book of Santa Barbara, with scores of new photographs and nearly 150 additional pages. Everton continues to focus on the play of light on sea and rock, the quirky corners of historic landmarks, and the unexpected variety of lush gardens and open spaces. He follows the seasons, with their changing bounty of field and vineyard. He revels in the zest of the town’s public celebrations, not only the colorful Old Spanish Days Fiesta and the rambunctious Summer Solstice Parade but also the glittery Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the cozy pub setting of the Bloomsday! reading of James Joyce’s Ulysses. It’s all here—and more.
In this project Everton has an extraordinary partner, Mary Heebner, who has collaborated with him—in life and in work—and who here adds a poetic understanding of Santa Barbara’s natural and human history, the tales writ in the flow of rivers as much as in architectural treasures. The introductory essay by global traveler and sometime resident Pico Iyer deftly and insightfully illuminates the secret side of this beloved town, while the afterword by Santa Barbara Independent columnist and reporter Nick Welsh adds personal and political context to these pages with wit and warmth.
This corner of Southern California is a place cherished by newcomers, frequent visitors, and residents alike. With his indelible images in The Book of Santa Barbara Macduff Everton proves once again why that is true.