Malibu Diary: Notes From An Urban Refugee

by Penelope B. Grenoble

In her attempt to escape city life, a journalist confronts the natural and political forces that shape the California landscape. In 1986, Penelope O’Malley moved to Malibu, at that time a small community of oddballs and cantankerous isolationists, hoping to find peaceful exile from Los Angeles and a life that had become too frantic and confused. She knew little then of the landscape that she hoped would inspire her—who owned it, what manner of flora and fauna it might support—and she wasn’t much interested. Nor did she give much thought to the people who would become her neighbors. As it turned out, her life on this urban-wildland frontier was very different from what she had planned. Malibu Diary is O’Malley’s account of her years as a resident of this beautiful, beleaguered Southern California coastal community. Here, a landscape of rare and breathtaking beauty conceals geological and climatic treachery, and human presence endangers a rich but fragile ecosystem. Far from isolating herself from the ills of contemporary urban life, O’Malley found herself deeply engaged in a community where realtors lusted after the magnificent hills and beachfront, Native Americans fought to protect the artifacts of their ancestors, and locals, no matter how resistant to development, were forced to address such pressing urban issues as zoning and sewage treatment. Malibu’s decision to incorporate introduced politics into the quiet village, and horrendous fires and floods caused destruction to property and the natural environment. Malibu Diary combines environmental history, personal memoir, and a lengthy meditation on the complicated relationships between humans and the landscapes they destroy by loving them too much. It is also the story of a colorful community and the diverse people who have chosen to live there; of how change has happened--and why-- and what it has meant. And it is, ultimately, the story of many communities where people try to resist development, "assuming little responsibility to ameliorate the effects of our having settled here." As such, O’Malley sees Malibu as a warning beacon for any beautiful place where settlement is constantly at odds with the natural environment; where a lifestyle, however alluring, is made precarious by the very natural forces that create its charm. Malibu Diary is a powerful and provocative exploration of the tenuous interface between the urban and wild worlds, and of the nature of community in an increasingly profit-oriented society.

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an interesting account of the efforts of Malibu to define itself, many of which I remember reading about or discussing with friends who lived there as they were occurring. I remember the fires and floods, the landslides and closed roads, and the conflicting views of residents on whether to stay entirely rural or allow some level of development. What Malibu has had a hard time with, though, from the beginning, is the concept that the ocean and the coastline belong to all of us, despite the private resident interests and holdings. This was illustrated by the early public insistence on building the section of road through Malibu that would complete the Mexico-to-Canada thoroughfare. It also showed up more recently when the California Coastal Commission took over the development of a local coastal plan for Malibu in the wake of the city's inability or unwillingness to complete their own.
For me the appeal of Malibu is the coast. I have no desire to live in a rustic rural house where I might have to sweep a rattlesnake off my front porch with a broom, as a coworker of mine once did. But I love my drives along Pacific Coast Highway and Kanan-Dume Road to my house on the other side of the Santa Monica Mountains. I also love the occasional visit to a friend's house in Malibu, or to a seaside restaurant. There's truly nothing like sitting on a deck a stone's throw from the waves with a glass of wine, watching the sunset and the seals and dolphins playing in the surf. I'm apparently just one of those scorned "commuters" or "visitors," but I will continue to assert my right to enjoy those visits, that drive, and that view across the ocean toward the other side of the world.