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{"id":7744310313019,"title":"Hollywood Eden","handle":"hollywood-eden","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow in paperback — from surf music to hot-rod records to the sunny pop of the Beach Boys, Jan \u0026amp; Dean, the Byrds, and the Mama’s \u0026amp; the Papa’s, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e captures the fresh blossom of a young generation who came together in the epic spring of the 1960s to invent the myth of the California Paradise.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003eCentral to the story is a group of sun-kissed teens from the University High School class of 1958 — a class that included Jan \u0026amp; Dean, Nancy Sinatra, and future members of the Beach Boys — who came of age in Los Angeles at the dawn of a new golden era when anything seemed possible. These were the people who invented the idea of modern California for the rest of the world.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003eBut their own private struggles belied the paradise portrayed in their music. What began as a light-hearted frolic under sunny skies ended up crashing down to earth just a few short but action-packed years later as, one by one, each met their destinies head-on. A rock ’n’ roll opera loaded with violence, deceit, intrigue, low comedy, and high drama, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden \u003c\/em\u003etells the story of a group of young artists and musicians who bumped heads, crashed cars, and ultimately flew too close to the sun.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","published_at":"2026-08-06T14:46:05-04:00","created_at":"2026-08-06T13:04:51-04:00","vendor":"House of Anansi Press Inc","type":"","tags":["Adult Nonfiction","By (author) Selvin Joel","House of Anansi Press","pub date: 2021-04-06"],"price":2299,"price_min":2299,"price_max":2495,"available":true,"price_varies":true,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":43919418916923,"title":"trade paperback","option1":"trade paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487011376","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Hollywood Eden - trade paperback","public_title":"trade paperback","options":["trade paperback"],"price":2299,"weight":456,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"9781487011376","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}},{"id":43919421112379,"title":"epub","option1":"epub","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"9781487007225","requires_shipping":false,"taxable":true,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Hollywood Eden - epub","public_title":"epub","options":["epub"],"price":2495,"weight":0,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":null,"barcode":"9781487007225","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[],"quantity_rule":{"min":1,"max":null,"increment":1}}],"images":["\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_0cc04bd6-d2b3-4f8e-8c39-81ff47d8b4a6.jpg?v=1786035953"],"featured_image":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_0cc04bd6-d2b3-4f8e-8c39-81ff47d8b4a6.jpg?v=1786035953","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":null,"id":27264711917627,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.667,"height":2700,"width":1800,"src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_0cc04bd6-d2b3-4f8e-8c39-81ff47d8b4a6.jpg?v=1786035953"},"aspect_ratio":0.667,"height":2700,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/houseofanansi.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/BNCImageAPI_0cc04bd6-d2b3-4f8e-8c39-81ff47d8b4a6.jpg?v=1786035953","width":1800}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow in paperback — from surf music to hot-rod records to the sunny pop of the Beach Boys, Jan \u0026amp; Dean, the Byrds, and the Mama’s \u0026amp; the Papa’s, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e captures the fresh blossom of a young generation who came together in the epic spring of the 1960s to invent the myth of the California Paradise.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003eCentral to the story is a group of sun-kissed teens from the University High School class of 1958 — a class that included Jan \u0026amp; Dean, Nancy Sinatra, and future members of the Beach Boys — who came of age in Los Angeles at the dawn of a new golden era when anything seemed possible. These were the people who invented the idea of modern California for the rest of the world.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003eBut their own private struggles belied the paradise portrayed in their music. What began as a light-hearted frolic under sunny skies ended up crashing down to earth just a few short but action-packed years later as, one by one, each met their destinies head-on. A rock ’n’ roll opera loaded with violence, deceit, intrigue, low comedy, and high drama, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden \u003c\/em\u003etells the story of a group of young artists and musicians who bumped heads, crashed cars, and ultimately flew too close to the sun.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e"}
{"AlsoRecommendedISBN_0":"9781487000028","AlsoRecommendedISBN_1":"9781487002305","AlsoRecommendedISBN_5":"9781770899346","BASICMainSubject":"MUS020000","BASICMainSubjectLiteral":"MUSIC\/History \u0026 Criticism","BiographicalNote":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJOEL SELVIN\u003c\/strong\u003e is an award-winning journalist and music critic who covered pop music for the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e for over thirty-five years. His writing has appeared in \u003cem\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBillboard\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMelody Maker\u003c\/em\u003e. Selvin is also the bestselling author of over a dozen books about pop music, including \u003cem\u003eAltamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock’s Darkest Day\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHere Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","BISACSubjectLiteral_0":"MUSIC \/ History \u0026amp; Criticism","BISACSubjectLiteral_1":"BIOGRAPHY \u0026amp; AUTOBIOGRAPHY \/ Entertainment \u0026amp; Performing Arts","BISACSubjectLiteral_2":"MUSIC \/ Genres \u0026amp; Styles \/ Rock","BISACSubject_0":"MUS020000","BISACSubject_1":"BIO005000","BISACSubject_2":"MUS035000","ContributorBio_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJOEL SELVIN\u003c\/strong\u003e is an award-winning journalist and music critic who covered pop music for the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e for over thirty-five years. His writing has appeared in \u003cem\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBillboard\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMelody Maker\u003c\/em\u003e. Selvin is also the bestselling author of over a dozen books about pop music, including \u003cem\u003eAltamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock’s Darkest Day\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHere Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","ContributorRole_0":"By (author)","Contributor_0":"Selvin, Joel","Description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow in paperback — from surf music to hot-rod records to the sunny pop of the Beach Boys, Jan \u0026 Dean, the Byrds, and the Mama’s \u0026 the Papa’s, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e captures the fresh blossom of a young generation who came together in the epic spring of the 1960s to invent the myth of the California Paradise.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003eCentral to the story is a group of sun-kissed teens from the University High School class of 1958 — a class that included Jan \u0026 Dean, Nancy Sinatra, and future members of the Beach Boys — who came of age in Los Angeles at the dawn of a new golden era when anything seemed possible. These were the people who invented the idea of modern California for the rest of the world.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003eBut their own private struggles belied the paradise portrayed in their music. What began as a light-hearted frolic under sunny skies ended up crashing down to earth just a few short but action-packed years later as, one by one, each met their destinies head-on. A rock ’n’ roll opera loaded with violence, deceit, intrigue, low comedy, and high drama, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden \u003c\/em\u003etells the story of a group of young artists and musicians who bumped heads, crashed cars, and ultimately flew too close to the sun.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","EAN":"9781487011376","excerpt_0":"https:\/\/biblioshare.org\/BNCservices\/BNCServices.asmx\/Samples?token=fcf85c1c1b298e99\u0026amp;ean=9781487011376\u0026amp;SAN=\u0026amp;Perspective=excerpt\u0026amp;FileNumber=0","Height":"9","HeightCode":"in","Imprint":"House of Anansi Press","MetaKeywords":"mad men","NumberOfPages":"312","OtherText_Accolades_0":"\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is a keeper! Startlingly moving, it features a cast of somehow sympathetic characters who are all looking for a fast buck, some luck of the draw, or intimations of immortality. I knew full well most of the subjects of this tumultuous time; I was also there in a hedge-row cameo. So I read the book through and through. I warrant every word of it is true.” — \u003cstrong\u003eVan Dyke Parks, composer, songwriter, and lyricist of Brian Wilson’s renowned Smile album\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_1":"\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is a detailed look at the hugely influential California music scene just before the arrival of folk rock and psychedelic music — a vital link in the chronicles of the American popular song. I found it fascinating; I love the book.” — \u003cstrong\u003eLinda Ronstadt, vocalist, songwriter, and bestselling author of Simple Dreams\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_2":"\u003cp\u003e“Those of us who grew up in the Darwinian slaughterhouse of New Jersey couldn’t have imagined the paradise so accurately described in \u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e. Through the years I became familiar with most of the characters in this book, yet I learned something new on every page. Joel Selvin’s special gift is putting you in the room to witness these unlikely events that became essential Rock History.” — \u003cstrong\u003eStevie Van Zandt, musician, actor, and syndicated radio host of Little Steven’s Underground Garage\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is a keeper! Startlingly moving, it features a cast of somehow sympathetic characters who are all looking for a fast buck, some luck of the draw, or intimations of immortality. I knew full well most of the subjects of this tumultuous time; I was also there in a hedge-row cameo. So I read the book through and through. I warrant every word of it is true.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_3_Auth":"Van Dyke Parks, composer, songwriter, and lyricist of Brian Wilson’s renowned Smile album","OtherText_Accolades_4":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is a detailed look at the hugely influential California music scene just before the arrival of folk rock and psychedelic music — a vital link in the chronicles of the American popular song. I found it fascinating; I love the book.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_4_Auth":"Linda Ronstadt, vocalist, songwriter, and bestselling author of Simple Dreams","OtherText_Accolades_5":"\u003cp\u003eThose of us who grew up in the Darwinian slaughterhouse of New Jersey couldn’t have imagined the paradise so accurately described in \u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e. Through the years I became familiar with most of the characters in this book, yet I learned something new on every page. Joel Selvin’s special gift is putting you in the room to witness these unlikely events that became essential Rock History.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Accolades_5_Auth":"Stevie Van Zandt, musician, actor, and syndicated radio host of Little Steven’s Underground Garage","OtherText_Long_description_1":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eJoel is an award-winning journalist and music critic who covered pop music for the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e for more than thirty-five years.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNostalgia for California in the sixties is alive and well: for instance, Quentin Tarantino’s \u003cem\u003eOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis paperback edition will appeal to an even wider audience.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe book has been reviewed by the \u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e, and the \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUpon original publication of the hardcover, the book recevied endorsements from Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Johnston, and Van Dyke Parks.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","OtherText_Review_0":"\u003cp\u003e“A jukebox musical of a book … If Altamont marked the premature end of the 1960s, \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is the decade’s origin story, capturing the lingering 1950s and the transition in Southern California music from surfing and hot rods to the singer-songwriters of the canyons.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_1":"\u003cp\u003e“For a tale of dreams, there’s a lot of hustle going on in \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e … For every sonic visionary, be it [Brian] Wilson or Phil Spector, there are a dozen people scraping by … What Selvin does so well is focus on a specific community and what made it work … Selvin took a similar approach in his ’60s Bay Area pop book, \u003cem\u003eSummer of Love\u003c\/em\u003e. Here he zooms in tighter on less trodden ground, with more revelatory results.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLos Angles Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_10":"\u003cp\u003eSelvin tells this inside story as if he were right there … \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden \u003c\/em\u003eis a lively and well-researched book.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_10_Src":"Winnipeg Free Press","OtherText_Review_11":"\u003cp\u003eForget the subtitle, which is its own myth. The book is in stray facts no one else would dig up, yet alone think of publishing … and, in this ten-years-on-the-strip tale of white people coming out of University High in Los Angeles and making records, the way Selvin can cut right down to what really matters, over and over again.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_11_Auth":"Greil Marcus","OtherText_Review_11_Src":"Los Angeles Review of Books","OtherText_Review_12":"\u003cp\u003eMy life back in those days was truly ‘fun fun fun’ and \u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e beautifully captures our Fifties and Sixties California music scene. Please don’t change a word!\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_12_Auth":"Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys","OtherText_Review_13":"\u003cp\u003eThere’s a panoramic sweep to Joel Selvin’s \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e. It’s a story told not as a history, but as a dramatic tale, an adventure, with scenes described so vividly, they become cinematic.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_13_Src":"Rock \u0026 Roll Globe","OtherText_Review_14":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e doesn’t shy away from the darkness that often boiled under the sun-flecked harmonies, but it ultimately celebrates these audacious young people and the enduring art they created … \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is a vivid and engaging snapshot of California in the 1960s — both the harsh reality and the fantasy world of song.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_14_Src":"The Second Disc","OtherText_Review_15":"\u003cp\u003eBehind the scenes it wasn’t always fun, fun, fun, but fans of late ’50s and ’60s pop will feel like they’ve caught the perfect wave.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_15_Src":"School Library Journal","OtherText_Review_2":"\u003cp\u003e“Selvin tells this inside story as if he were right there … \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden \u003c\/em\u003eis a lively and well-researched book.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWinnipeg Free Press\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_3":"\u003cp\u003e“Forget the subtitle, which is its own myth. The book is in stray facts no one else would dig up, yet alone think of publishing … and, in this ten-years-on-the-strip tale of white people coming out of University High in Los Angeles and making records, the way Selvin can cut right down to what really matters, over and over again.” — \u003cstrong\u003eGreil Marcus, \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_4":"\u003cp\u003e“My life back in those days was truly ‘fun fun fun’ and \u003cem \u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e beautifully captures our Fifties and Sixties California music scene. Please don’t change a word!” — \u003cstrong\u003eBruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, \u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_5":"\u003cp\u003e“There’s a panoramic sweep to Joel Selvin’s \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e. It’s a story told not as a history, but as a dramatic tale, an adventure, with scenes described so vividly, they become cinematic.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eRock \u0026 Roll Globe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_6":"\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e doesn’t shy away from the darkness that often boiled under the sun-flecked harmonies, but it ultimately celebrates these audacious young people and the enduring art they created … \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e is a vivid and engaging snapshot of California in the 1960s — both the harsh reality and the fantasy world of song.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Second Disc\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_7":"\u003cp\u003e“Behind the scenes it wasn’t always fun, fun, fun, but fans of late ’50s and ’60s pop will feel like they’ve caught the perfect wave.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_8":"\u003cp\u003e“Selvin’s style and his arrangement of biographies, incidents, random meetings with immense consequences in the microcosm of Greater L.A. make it hard to put the title down, as it reads like an action-packed movie script.” — \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePop Culture Shelf\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_9":"\u003cp\u003eFor a tale of dreams, there’s a lot of hustle going on in \u003cem\u003eHollywood Eden\u003c\/em\u003e … For every sonic visionary, be it [Brian] Wilson or Phil Spector, there are a dozen people scraping by … What Selvin does so well is focus on a specific community and what made it work … Selvin took a similar approach in his ’60s Bay Area pop book, \u003cem\u003eSummer of Love\u003c\/em\u003e. Here he zooms in tighter on less trodden ground, with more revelatory results.\u003c\/p\u003e","OtherText_Review_9_Src":"Los Angles Times","OtherText_ShortDescription_0":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow in paperback, Hollywood Eden reveals the young generation of artists who came together in the 1960s to invent the myth of the California Paradise.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","ProductFormDescription":"trade paperback","PublicationDate":"2021-04-06","Publisher":"House of Anansi Press Inc","ShortDescription":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow in paperback, Hollywood Eden reveals the young generation of artists who came together in the 1960s to invent the myth of the California Paradise.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","Subtitle":"Electric Guitars, Fast Cars, and the Myth of the California Paradise","Width":"6","WidthCode":"in"}
