Michael at William O'Neill's house: America's Shakespeare

Looking at his desk where he wrote" Long Day's Journey into Night. " O'Neill was America's great playwright. Our Chekov but DARKER. Oona his daughter married Charlie Chaplin. O'Neill never spoke to her again!

Michael standing next to the ruins of Jack London's house

Jack London was America's greatest adventure writer. Call of the Wild is his most famous book. There was a display of his books at the museum next to his house. There were books in every language including Russian!

Michael sitting in John Steinbeck's house

He's in a portrait above him. Steinbeck is one of America's greatest writers. He won the Noble prize.

Michael with Robinson Jeffers' grand-daughter

The tower behind us was built by Jeffers for his wife. Here's a poem from Robinson Jeffers. He's one of America's greatest 20th century poets:

Though the little clouds ran southward still, the quiet
autumnal cool of the late September evening

seemed promising rain, rain, the change of the year,
the angel of the sad forest, a heron flew over

with that remote ridiculous cry, " Quawk, " the cry
that seems to make silence more silent. A dozen

flops of the wing, a drooping glide, at the end of the
glide, the cry, and a dozen flops of the wings.

I watched him pass on the autumn-colored sky; beyond
him Jupiter shone for evening star,

the sea's voice worked into my mood, I thought " No
matter what happens to men...the world's well made
though. "

Michael and Magnus Toran

Magnus Toran is the director of the Henry Miller memorial library in Big Sur. Miller's works were very contoversial. He broke into new kinds of sound patterns and was the literary father of Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

Michael in San Fransisco near the City Lights Bookstore

Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg were both published by the owner of the bookstore. He knew them personally.