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Playing in the Apocalypse: Remembering the Isla Vista Riots
It was 1970. Kate and Joel were lovers during the riots in Isla Vista, a once sleepy, palm-studed, beachfront student community next to the University of California, Santa Barbara campus. For Kate, raised by repressive fundamentalist Christian parents, Isla Vista was the first place in her life that felt like home. She loved to browse the bookstore and take long walks along the beach. There were concerts and street dances just about every weekend… and then her world came apart. Kate’s apartment was right on the police patrol loop, where armored trucks full of cops shot the tires of parked cars and lobbed tear gas canisters at the apartment buildings. She and her roommate barricaded the door and hid until something happened that galvanized them into action.
In between the fires, the rage, and the night the bank went up in flames, a tender love story unfolded between Joel and Kate.
It was a terrifying and life-changing year. Packed with details and drawn from the author’s own experiences, “Playing in the Apocalypse" is a time capsule of a scary, but in many ways simpler, era.
In between the fires, the rage, and the night the bank went up in flames, a tender love story unfolded between Joel and Kate.
It was a terrifying and life-changing year. Packed with details and drawn from the author’s own experiences, “Playing in the Apocalypse" is a time capsule of a scary, but in many ways simpler, era.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2014
2 people want to read
About the author
Kate Comings
9 books4 followersKate Comings received a B.A. in English literature at University of California, Santa Barbara. A single mom, she raised her daughter at Boronda Creek, a remote spot 24 miles inland from the California coast. When she wasn't transcribing medical reports and billing insurance companies, Kate would head into the woods for solo backpacking treks with only her dog for company. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her dogs. She loves photography and hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2014
**Disclaimer:** The author is my older sister. And the book got 4 stars from me only because I didn't want it to end! I wanted to read more and see what happened next in Kate's life--as told from her point of view, not as seen through my own adolescent eyes.
At the time of the book's events, I was enjoying my first year of high school, and wars and riots were a long way from us. I do remember hearing about the bank burning down, and saw it under reconstruction during a family trip to Isla Vista to bring Kate home for Christmas (or perhaps some other vacation). But at the time, I was not aware that she herself was in danger, along with the entire population of the community.
Kate's narrative takes the reader back to a time when the world shook, and no one knew quite how it would look after the dust settled.
In the interests of full disclosure, I did NOT receive a free copy of this book. Nor was I asked to write a review.
Available for Kindle and Nook.
At the time of the book's events, I was enjoying my first year of high school, and wars and riots were a long way from us. I do remember hearing about the bank burning down, and saw it under reconstruction during a family trip to Isla Vista to bring Kate home for Christmas (or perhaps some other vacation). But at the time, I was not aware that she herself was in danger, along with the entire population of the community.
Kate's narrative takes the reader back to a time when the world shook, and no one knew quite how it would look after the dust settled.
In the interests of full disclosure, I did NOT receive a free copy of this book. Nor was I asked to write a review.
Available for Kindle and Nook.
December 10, 2025
When I saw this book, when looking for my next read, I immediately saw myself right where the book takes place.
My boyfriend, at the time lived in Isla vista, and I moved in, working at a local grocery place. We went to Kunstler Speech, and when the Crowds hit the streets, and police cars rolling in, we saw the start of the burn of the B of A.
It was a frightening night, we knew we could not stay, quickly packed everything in his car, and headed to Berkeley. And frankly, it started to get crazy there too.
It was that time……
Thanks for the read, it sure brought some memories, both good and bad.
My boyfriend, at the time lived in Isla vista, and I moved in, working at a local grocery place. We went to Kunstler Speech, and when the Crowds hit the streets, and police cars rolling in, we saw the start of the burn of the B of A.
It was a frightening night, we knew we could not stay, quickly packed everything in his car, and headed to Berkeley. And frankly, it started to get crazy there too.
It was that time……
Thanks for the read, it sure brought some memories, both good and bad.
January 16, 2015
This is a wonderful book--both because it discusses a time in American history that I lived through but didn't understand, and because it's very engaging reading. Kate Comings does a terrific job of writing a memoir about her experiences during the Isla Vista riots, but also sharing the beautiful love story that develops with her boyfriend, Joel. Never does she sink into despair or get discouraged, even as the police do terrible things in her neighborhood. A really amazing story about love, violence, and the bonds we humans develop when things get truly desperate.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews