What do you think?
Rate this book
San Francisco Stories: Tales of the City
It falls down. It burns up. It goes Beatnik in the fifties and crazy in the sixties. It stays elegant throughout. Every city has its stories, but San Francisco seems to have more than most. From Jack Kerouac on working on the railroad to Anne Lamott on getting kicked out of the cafe scene, and from Jack London on the 1906 earthquake to Tom Wolfe on the acid tests of the 1960s, San Francisco Stories collects the most outstanding writings about the city from some of the most distinguished authors of the last 150 years.
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1990
11 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
John Miller
45 booksJohn Miller has edited a number of intriguing anthologies for Chronicle Books, including Lust and White Rabbit. He runs Big Fish Books, a packaging company in San Francisco.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 5, 2012
A wonderful collection of interesting tidbits, anecdotes, histories, and musings on the great city of San Francisco. I'd never read anything by Amy Tan, but her piece in here is so good that I may have to give her books a shot now. The Dylan Thomas letters sent from SF are delightful and poignant. I'd never read Ishmael Reed before now, either, and his piece is fantastic, so now I have to. Kerouac's "October in the Railroad Earth" is just plain awesome. And a great poem in here, too, by Vikram Seth! Lots to love.
May 19, 2020
By famous writers, all white (and two Chinese/Cantonese), would have been more colorful if (a piece like the film) "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" were added, but this is an anthology published in 90s.
Kerouac's rap on his railroad profession lost me in drunkenness, Twain's queer quip of his rare early-rise amused me tepidly.
Most are near perfect in their unique ways. From exaltation to detestation, from private longing to historical reflection, from hidden alleys to landmarks, from destructive misfortune to creative art, the scenes renewed, events reflected, insights gained, a bliss. I may favor different pieces when read at different points in time. For now, I pick Lewis Lapham's Lost Horizon (written in 1979).
Kerouac's rap on his railroad profession lost me in drunkenness, Twain's queer quip of his rare early-rise amused me tepidly.
Most are near perfect in their unique ways. From exaltation to detestation, from private longing to historical reflection, from hidden alleys to landmarks, from destructive misfortune to creative art, the scenes renewed, events reflected, insights gained, a bliss. I may favor different pieces when read at different points in time. For now, I pick Lewis Lapham's Lost Horizon (written in 1979).
December 1, 2009
San Francisco Stories, edited by John Miller, is an anthology of stories about or set in the city. One thing to note is the variety; most of these stories have little in common other than the fact that they document the city of San Francisco in some way. The works span the 20th as well as the second half of 19th century. The selection contains both fiction and nonfiction, both prose and poetry (mostly prose), and a variety of written forms -- from excerpts of novels and biographies to letters and journalistic articles. The selection also documents many different perpectives: foreign tourists, inhabitants, people from other parts of the country, and immigrants. The subject matter is also varied also but there are some themes, such as the physical beauty of the city, variety of its people, capitalism (service, commerce & trade), and change.
I liked the variety of the stories. Some were enjoyable and others less enjoyable, but overall it was good. I would recommend it to people who like variety and are interested in the life of cities.
A recurring theme is change how San Francisco is the leader of some movements: the Beat generation in the sixties and the gay liberation in the eighties. The article on gay liberation reminded me of the film Milk (2008). The film was about Harvey Milk, a gay right activists. In the article there were several gay liberation groups, one of which is the Harvey Milk club.
I liked the variety of the stories. Some were enjoyable and others less enjoyable, but overall it was good. I would recommend it to people who like variety and are interested in the life of cities.
A recurring theme is change how San Francisco is the leader of some movements: the Beat generation in the sixties and the gay liberation in the eighties. The article on gay liberation reminded me of the film Milk (2008). The film was about Harvey Milk, a gay right activists. In the article there were several gay liberation groups, one of which is the Harvey Milk club.
March 5, 2011
It's interesting to realize that S.F. has so much history connected to it. Though a great majority (if not all) of the stories in this collection are from the 1906 fire, even from that time till today there isa considerable amount of cultural history to be discovered.
to me the most interesting writings were the oldest ones, the ones that provided a glimpse into a time gone by in the golden city, of "the city that was". The fires took everything, and many say that after it S.F. was never quite the same again. They were written with nostalgia and a sense of loss, making it all more personal and real as you read it.
A fine collection. if you find cultural history or S.F. history interesting, I recommend it. Or, if like me, you see the list of authors on the back (Hunter S. Thompson, Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac), then that might just be motivation enough to check it out.
to me the most interesting writings were the oldest ones, the ones that provided a glimpse into a time gone by in the golden city, of "the city that was". The fires took everything, and many say that after it S.F. was never quite the same again. They were written with nostalgia and a sense of loss, making it all more personal and real as you read it.
A fine collection. if you find cultural history or S.F. history interesting, I recommend it. Or, if like me, you see the list of authors on the back (Hunter S. Thompson, Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac), then that might just be motivation enough to check it out.
September 9, 2012
This collection of short pieces, mostly essays about San Francisco spans decades. Some of the entries are serious critiques of the literary and artisitic scene which require a fair amount of prior knowledge to appreciate. ( I don't have that knowledge. ) My favorite entry was by HL Mencken, about the Democratic National Convention of 1920. During Prohibition, the conventioneers were surprised and delighted by a high quality and plentiful bourbon which livened the festivities. I also liked Anne Lamott's piece entitled "Almost 86ed" about how she committed a faux pas in a stylish North Beach hang out which almost resulted in her permanent exile. I read a good bit of this book while I was visiting San Francisco and in the midst of a raucous presidential election campaign which added relevance and enjoyment to the experience.
September 7, 2025
Not short stories and despite byline ‘Tales of the City’, no Armistead Maupin so be careful with what you’re buying here. As a Beat reader, I already had all the Kerouac, Kesey, Rexroth, Hunter S Thompson, Ferlinghetti and Tom Wolfe. If they are new to you, enjoy the ride! Jack London and Dylan Thomas I also read but their pieces here were new to me and among the most enjoyable. The surprise was Amy Tan and Vikram Seth - great. My problem with this was that whilst this anthology made me want to go straight back to the streets of North Beach, its bars and City Lights etc, my love of SF was the place itself and my own reading and memories- this book just brought those to the forefront rather than creating a sense of place. By which I mean this is more about people and history rather than a sense of modern place let alone the psychogeography. A missed opportunity in my view.
April 24, 2012
I bought this book at the famed City Lights Bookstore in North Beach, and read it while exploring the city of the title for the first time, so a certain romanticism must be allowed. In the words of Dylan Thomas, "San Francisco is the best place on earth. It is incredibly beautiful, all hills and bridges and blinding blue sky and boats and the Pacific Ocean." The quote is one of many you'll find in this rather mixed bag of a compilation. From Rudyard Kipling to Amy Tan, with a much-too-long description of how the city of San Francisco reacted to the AIDS epidemic, the collection is both brilliant and mundane. It's most recent essay is 25 years old (it was published in 1990), so it must be considered a historical collection, but in its pages you'll find the Beats and Chinatown, the Gold Rush and The Fire of '06, hippies and gentlemen, poetry and prose. The literature is not particularly good, but if you read it in San Francisco, or when you're feeling particularly nostalgic, then this is a book to warm the soul and open the gateways to new perspectives and ideas.
July 5, 2009
This book contains fiction and non-fiction about San Francisco by authors from the 19th and 20th centuries: Mark Twain, Jack London, Amy Tan, William Saroyan, Jack Kerouac, Alice B. Toklas, and others. The quality and interest varied, but especially memorable were the description of the 1906 earthquake and fire by London and a bitter, dead-pan "travel" story by Kay Boyle called "Seeing the Sights in San Francisco," published in 1967.
October 19, 2015
I would say this would one of the more successful collection of short stories I've read recently. It had a good mix of old and new stuff and not just the usuals. Got it City LIghts. It also has some nice pictures to boot. I would say about half work very well and others are varying degrees of good.
Read
July 26, 2007fiction, california, san francisco
July 26, 2010
I used this in the SF urban studies class. It gives a varied, enjoyable "sampler" of the city over the course of its history.
August 2, 2011
started, not really that great.
October 11, 2012
Although it includes a bunch of famous authors, from Mark Twain to Amy Tan, it is only worth reading if you are really interested in San Francisco.
August 6, 2014
I didn't find a lot of these essays that interesting. Quite a few didn't really talk much about San Francisco.
June 10, 2015
A wonderful survey of stories, essays and recollections of one of the world's great cities, by excellent writers from across the globe.
August 4, 2015
Great stories written concerning San Francisco. A fun read.
Read
June 3, 2015Another addition to my library of San Francisco books. Thanks for the birthday present, Tammy!
April 2, 2026
I stayed in South San Francisco in the (Philippine) summers of 1983, 1985, and 1987. I have numerous relatives and friends young and old who, at some point or another, lived there, both in the city and the south. Despite decrepit dispatches everywhere, most of them continue to romanticize the city by the bay, and the golden promises it once held for them, as much as Tony Bennett did with the beautiful Cory/Cross ditty. Which I believe deserved a page here.
The pieces which moved or intrigued me, in particular order:
1) Dylan Thomas, in Letters to Caitlin - A series of love letters, both moving and intriguing, and frankly, comic for their tenor and intensity. While on a visiting professorship program at an unnamed university in San Francisco, Thomas writes like a lovesick teenage swain, repetitive in his imploring declarations of undying love for his "sweetheart," his wife Caitlin.
2) Frances Fitzgerald in The Castro - A chronological, statistical, political, and social reportage of HIV and AIDS in San Francisco, ground zero being The Castro neighborhood. Set in the early eighties when AIDS was the ultimate death sentence, Fitzgerald's storytelling shifts from the victims, the vulnerable gay men, some well-meaning, oftentimes grandstanding, opportunistic politicos at city hall, and the business of the public baths. The stories of Armistead Maupin came to mind, and yes, he is mentioned often here, as well as in other articles.
3) Alice B. Toklas in What is Remembered - Toklas's unsentimental piece stands out as one of the best here, as she writes about her family's trajectory from pioneering prospectors to genteel San Franciscans, her education (she held a bachelor of music degree), and the impact of the San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire on the city's residents.
4) Amy Tan in Rules of the Game - This was the preview for readers who went on to read the impressive, and eventually watch the equally satisfying movie rendition of Tan's The Joy Luck Club. I have known children of families with the same background, parents with their myriad biases, superstitions, and grit. And surprisingly this still mindset exists, even today.
5) Randy Shilts, in No Cross, No Crown - Randy Shilts's article on the assassinations of San Francisco mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first openly gay politician to be elected in California, is the standout in this collection. Socially and historically impactful, Shilts starts with the seemingly mundane events that led killer Dan White, a former supervisor, police officer, and firefighter, to a systematic, precise double murder in a span of a few minutes.
6) Jack London in The Fire - Native San Franciscan Jack London delivers the most visually stimulating, vibrantly heartbreaking excerpts of the earthquake and eventually, more destructive fires that hit the city. In a scene reminiscent of Richard III, London shares snippets of encounters immediately following the catastrophe: "It was at Union Square that I saw a man offering a thousand dollars for a team of horses...The flames were on three sides of the Square, and there were no horses." In the midst of this conflagration is a man on crutches, who tells him "Today is my birthday. Last night I was worth thirty thousand dollars. I bought five bottles of wine, some delicate fish, and other things for my birthday dinner. I have had no dinner, and all I own are these crutches." Twenty-four hours later, London meanders to the enclave of Nob Hill, where he sat on the steps of a small residence, together with "Japanese, Italians, Chinese, and negroes--a bit of the cosmopolitan flotsam of the wreck of the city...I went inside with the owner of the house on the steps of which I sat. He was cool and cheerful and hospitable. 'Yesterday morning, I was worth six hundred thousand dollars. This morning this house is all I have left. It will go in fifteen minutes.' He pointed to a large cabinet. 'That is my wife's collection of china. This rug upon which we stand is a present. It coset fifteen hundred dollars. Try that piano. Listen to its tone. There are few like it. There are no horses. The flames will be here in fifteen minutes.'"
7) Anne Lamott in Almost 86'ed - Lamott's funny, sophisticated, self-deprecating article gives us a fascinating window into North Beach's Tosca Cafe, San Francisco's watering hole "where artists of one persuasion or another met in the evenings, from the Beats in the fifties to the local movie luminaries in the eighties."
8) Mark Twain in Early Rising as Regards to Excursions to Cliff House - A too-early-in-the-frigid morning travelogue to Cliff House, wittily, dryly narrated by none-too-impressed tourist Samuel Clemens.
Three stars. Three and a half if Bennett's ditty was in it.
The pieces which moved or intrigued me, in particular order:
1) Dylan Thomas, in Letters to Caitlin - A series of love letters, both moving and intriguing, and frankly, comic for their tenor and intensity. While on a visiting professorship program at an unnamed university in San Francisco, Thomas writes like a lovesick teenage swain, repetitive in his imploring declarations of undying love for his "sweetheart," his wife Caitlin.
2) Frances Fitzgerald in The Castro - A chronological, statistical, political, and social reportage of HIV and AIDS in San Francisco, ground zero being The Castro neighborhood. Set in the early eighties when AIDS was the ultimate death sentence, Fitzgerald's storytelling shifts from the victims, the vulnerable gay men, some well-meaning, oftentimes grandstanding, opportunistic politicos at city hall, and the business of the public baths. The stories of Armistead Maupin came to mind, and yes, he is mentioned often here, as well as in other articles.
3) Alice B. Toklas in What is Remembered - Toklas's unsentimental piece stands out as one of the best here, as she writes about her family's trajectory from pioneering prospectors to genteel San Franciscans, her education (she held a bachelor of music degree), and the impact of the San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire on the city's residents.
4) Amy Tan in Rules of the Game - This was the preview for readers who went on to read the impressive, and eventually watch the equally satisfying movie rendition of Tan's The Joy Luck Club. I have known children of families with the same background, parents with their myriad biases, superstitions, and grit. And surprisingly this still mindset exists, even today.
5) Randy Shilts, in No Cross, No Crown - Randy Shilts's article on the assassinations of San Francisco mayor George Moscone and Harvey Milk of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first openly gay politician to be elected in California, is the standout in this collection. Socially and historically impactful, Shilts starts with the seemingly mundane events that led killer Dan White, a former supervisor, police officer, and firefighter, to a systematic, precise double murder in a span of a few minutes.
6) Jack London in The Fire - Native San Franciscan Jack London delivers the most visually stimulating, vibrantly heartbreaking excerpts of the earthquake and eventually, more destructive fires that hit the city. In a scene reminiscent of Richard III, London shares snippets of encounters immediately following the catastrophe: "It was at Union Square that I saw a man offering a thousand dollars for a team of horses...The flames were on three sides of the Square, and there were no horses." In the midst of this conflagration is a man on crutches, who tells him "Today is my birthday. Last night I was worth thirty thousand dollars. I bought five bottles of wine, some delicate fish, and other things for my birthday dinner. I have had no dinner, and all I own are these crutches." Twenty-four hours later, London meanders to the enclave of Nob Hill, where he sat on the steps of a small residence, together with "Japanese, Italians, Chinese, and negroes--a bit of the cosmopolitan flotsam of the wreck of the city...I went inside with the owner of the house on the steps of which I sat. He was cool and cheerful and hospitable. 'Yesterday morning, I was worth six hundred thousand dollars. This morning this house is all I have left. It will go in fifteen minutes.' He pointed to a large cabinet. 'That is my wife's collection of china. This rug upon which we stand is a present. It coset fifteen hundred dollars. Try that piano. Listen to its tone. There are few like it. There are no horses. The flames will be here in fifteen minutes.'"
7) Anne Lamott in Almost 86'ed - Lamott's funny, sophisticated, self-deprecating article gives us a fascinating window into North Beach's Tosca Cafe, San Francisco's watering hole "where artists of one persuasion or another met in the evenings, from the Beats in the fifties to the local movie luminaries in the eighties."
8) Mark Twain in Early Rising as Regards to Excursions to Cliff House - A too-early-in-the-frigid morning travelogue to Cliff House, wittily, dryly narrated by none-too-impressed tourist Samuel Clemens.
Three stars. Three and a half if Bennett's ditty was in it.
November 2, 2020
It took me awhile to get through these, since I tended to read them one or two at a time over weekends when I was looking for some San Francisco nostalgia.
This is a fantastic collection of stories and anecdotes from all parts and from a diverse set of perspectives on one of America's most dynamic young cities. The gold rush plays an outsized role in shaping the character of the town and its inhabitants, as does the earthquake of 1906. The book doesn't include any of the Silicon Valley ascendancy since it was published in 1990. But with writers like Mark Twain, Herb Caen, and Anne Lamott, the book doesn't disappoint. Highly recommended to anyone interested in San Francisco before its current, tech-dominated, instance.
This is a fantastic collection of stories and anecdotes from all parts and from a diverse set of perspectives on one of America's most dynamic young cities. The gold rush plays an outsized role in shaping the character of the town and its inhabitants, as does the earthquake of 1906. The book doesn't include any of the Silicon Valley ascendancy since it was published in 1990. But with writers like Mark Twain, Herb Caen, and Anne Lamott, the book doesn't disappoint. Highly recommended to anyone interested in San Francisco before its current, tech-dominated, instance.
December 24, 2022
I really enjoyed this collection from various authors of their stories of San Francisco 1906 Earthquake and Fire. Also, various events that took place and people sharing moments before I was born. The authors shared their ideas of different areas in San Francisco, some I knew where they were as I had lived in “the city”. I really enjoyed this book and recommend reading to see all the wonderful stories about places I had never gone to visit.
December 30, 2025
Some pieces I very much enjoyed (Amy tan, randy shilts, Anne Lamont, mark twain) and some I had to bribe myself to get through (Frank chin, dore ashton). Interesting collection overall but it felt slightly disjointed. Always a good time reading about the best city ever though
Read
December 1, 2018Only the juicy murder pieces written by journalists gave me the atmosphere and sense of older San Francisco that I was hoping for. Other pieces— some by fairly well-known noir writers— were ok stories, but could have been written anywhere.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews