Thomas Sanchez: A Literary Archive Introduction by Kevin Starr

“Thomas Sanchez triumphantly found himself across a half century of sustained production as a novelist. He came of age as a Californian rooted in region through bloodlines and imaginative affinities — he absorbed that peculiar brand of laconic naturalism that also energized John Steinbeck.

In Rabbit Boss, he made a stunning debut with one of the three or four finest novels ever to be set in California. Sanchez went on to write more novels set in Los Angeles, Key West, Havana, France, and Spain, releasing their resonances with skill — a master of regionalism, of race and place.

Sanchez’s life reveals commitment, challenging himself, defining himself, earning his reputation through talent and achievement, believing in himself as a writer with something compelling to say about the human condition. Across the decades, Sanchez achieved the record of a life lived for art with purity of intention, with total dedication to craft, with courage in response to criticism, and humility in response to the praise he so richly deserved.”

In France, Sanchez was awarded the honor of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres for his contribution to literature. His six novels have been published and translated internationally for 50 years.

California artist Sandow Birk’s work is represented in major collections and institutions, including the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Birk’s five-year project adapting Dante’s Divine Comedy into a contemporary American setting with original illustrations was published in a special limited edition. A recent bespoke edition of The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde, with original drawings by Birk, was released by Arion Press, publisher of the classic illustrated book Moby Dick.