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Drift
Exposes the hollowness of a city’s boom years
Joe Blake is searching for something real in a seemingly depthless world. An alienated, underemployed professor and aspiring poet, Joe roams San Diego in his own personal disquiet and discovers that agony and ecstasy coexist all around him.
Joe has fallen in love with Theresa Sanchez, a single mother cultivating her own garden of doubts. As Joe and Theresa negotiate their intimacy amid bouts of passion and lines of Neruda, they find common ground in their yearning for a more authentic life. But what they later discover along a lonely stretch of highway is almost too real for them to bear.
As Drift uncovers the hidden past of this southwestern mecca—a history inhabited by the likes of Emma Goldman, Henry Miller, Mission Indians, and Theosophists—it captures the underlying emptiness and unease of San Diego circa 2000. Blake plays the postmodern flâneur in a theme-park city, drifting with the poetic eye of Baudelaire and the critical sensibilities of Walter Benjamin and the Situationist avant-garde. Depicting the sex, drugs, and death found in the borderlands, author Jim Miller portrays a city where cultures sometimes clash but more often pass one another almost wholly unaffected.
Drift features original art by Perry Vasquez and photography by Jennifer Cost. A startling work laced with premonitions of dread, Drift is a Whitmanesque journey that puts readers squarely in its moment as it exposes the seamy underside of modern America.
Joe Blake is searching for something real in a seemingly depthless world. An alienated, underemployed professor and aspiring poet, Joe roams San Diego in his own personal disquiet and discovers that agony and ecstasy coexist all around him.
Joe has fallen in love with Theresa Sanchez, a single mother cultivating her own garden of doubts. As Joe and Theresa negotiate their intimacy amid bouts of passion and lines of Neruda, they find common ground in their yearning for a more authentic life. But what they later discover along a lonely stretch of highway is almost too real for them to bear.
As Drift uncovers the hidden past of this southwestern mecca—a history inhabited by the likes of Emma Goldman, Henry Miller, Mission Indians, and Theosophists—it captures the underlying emptiness and unease of San Diego circa 2000. Blake plays the postmodern flâneur in a theme-park city, drifting with the poetic eye of Baudelaire and the critical sensibilities of Walter Benjamin and the Situationist avant-garde. Depicting the sex, drugs, and death found in the borderlands, author Jim Miller portrays a city where cultures sometimes clash but more often pass one another almost wholly unaffected.
Drift features original art by Perry Vasquez and photography by Jennifer Cost. A startling work laced with premonitions of dread, Drift is a Whitmanesque journey that puts readers squarely in its moment as it exposes the seamy underside of modern America.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2007
21 people want to read
About the author
Jim Miller
5 books3 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Jim Miller is a native San Diegan and a graduate of the MFA program at San Diego State University. In addition to his MFA in Fiction, Miller has a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He is a founding member of the San Diego Writers Collective and a co-founder of San Diego City Works Press. Miller teaches English and Labor Studies at San Diego City College where he was the founding director of the San Diego City College Literary Center and the San Diego City College International Book Fair from 2006-2008.
Miller is the author of Flash and Drift, both novels. He is also co-author of the radical history of San Diego Under the Perfect Sun: The San Diego Tourists Never See (with Mike Davis and Kelly Mayhew) and a cultural studies book on working class sports fandom, Better to Reign in Hell: Inside the Raiders Fan Empire (with Kelly Mayhew). Miller is also the editor of Sunshine/Noir: Writing from San Diego and Tijuana and Democracy in Education; Education for Democracy: An Oral History of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 1931. He has published poetry, fiction, and non-fiction in a wide range of journals and other publications.
As a young man, Miller was a bouncer, a factory worker, a warehouseman, and a laborer in his late father’s home repair business. A proud union member, Jim serves on the executive board of AFT Local 1931 and does political action work.
Jim Miller lives in downtown San Diego with his wife, Kelly Mayhew, and their son, Walt.
Jim Miller is a native San Diegan and a graduate of the MFA program at San Diego State University. In addition to his MFA in Fiction, Miller has a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He is a founding member of the San Diego Writers Collective and a co-founder of San Diego City Works Press. Miller teaches English and Labor Studies at San Diego City College where he was the founding director of the San Diego City College Literary Center and the San Diego City College International Book Fair from 2006-2008.
Miller is the author of Flash and Drift, both novels. He is also co-author of the radical history of San Diego Under the Perfect Sun: The San Diego Tourists Never See (with Mike Davis and Kelly Mayhew) and a cultural studies book on working class sports fandom, Better to Reign in Hell: Inside the Raiders Fan Empire (with Kelly Mayhew). Miller is also the editor of Sunshine/Noir: Writing from San Diego and Tijuana and Democracy in Education; Education for Democracy: An Oral History of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 1931. He has published poetry, fiction, and non-fiction in a wide range of journals and other publications.
As a young man, Miller was a bouncer, a factory worker, a warehouseman, and a laborer in his late father’s home repair business. A proud union member, Jim serves on the executive board of AFT Local 1931 and does political action work.
Jim Miller lives in downtown San Diego with his wife, Kelly Mayhew, and their son, Walt.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 29, 2024
"..𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵?"
"𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺," 𝘑𝘰𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯.
"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴."
"𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢," 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘦.
Perhaps too self-serious for its own good in a Linklater Waking Life kind of way, but without the whimsy. San Diego history bookending brooding conversations of American modern life doesn't make the narrative charming at all, but it does capture the noir of San Diego. Sometimes, at night, even in downtown where the eucalyptus trees uproot sidewalks, you see the signs in potholes of oil and water that give the city its century-past feel.
In the introduction written by the author himself, he describes this as an exploration of psychogeography of the city and that couldn't be further from the truth. Miller, with too much enthusiasm of his own past and interest, sees the city in memoryscapes, with passing thoughts of American life fluttering through like Jacaranda petals in the ocean breeze and you can't help but feel like you're floating through it all with him.
"𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘺," 𝘑𝘰𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯.
"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴."
"𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢," 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘦.
Perhaps too self-serious for its own good in a Linklater Waking Life kind of way, but without the whimsy. San Diego history bookending brooding conversations of American modern life doesn't make the narrative charming at all, but it does capture the noir of San Diego. Sometimes, at night, even in downtown where the eucalyptus trees uproot sidewalks, you see the signs in potholes of oil and water that give the city its century-past feel.
In the introduction written by the author himself, he describes this as an exploration of psychogeography of the city and that couldn't be further from the truth. Miller, with too much enthusiasm of his own past and interest, sees the city in memoryscapes, with passing thoughts of American life fluttering through like Jacaranda petals in the ocean breeze and you can't help but feel like you're floating through it all with him.
July 30, 2015
I gathered from the dust jacket that this story is set in San Diego and probably would have a good sense of place. Having had thirty-plus years of misadventures in this town, I thought it might be interesting.
Actually, this is the worst book I've tried to read in years. It's so bad it's depressing.
The problem is not just the author's reliance on mere summary (e.g., after a poorly rendered conversation in which he learns of his father's death, "Joe's anger turned to numbness as he stood there"); it's not just the clumsy transitions from his meaningless life to imagined depictions of bygone times that insist everything presumed to be nice in "America's Finest City" was built on lies, cruelty, greed, and injustice, or other transitions to shallow riffs on a stereotyped homeless guy, a stereotyped suburban airhead, etc. It's not even that all of this is obviously so much leftwing ax-grinding. That much is okay in itself, because everybody who writes produces some degree of schlock. (I too might have written something like this in my twenties.) But even Joe, presumably a stand-in for the author, recognizes at least some of the time that there's no merit in the stuff he types out. Joe wisely deletes it. Miller on the other hand not only thought he'd written something of value, but he found somebody willing to publish it.
In reading, I figured Joe was probably in his early twenties. At that age I felt the same alienation he experiences on seeing the well-dressed guy with "own-the-world talk." Turns out he's really thirty-five. I guess that's the point at which the story lost me. Because someone who has spent ten years failing to come to terms with the world is a loser. Especially if he pins its imperfections on the people, past or present, who figured out how to accomplish something.
Local color or not, I don't have time for this.
Actually, this is the worst book I've tried to read in years. It's so bad it's depressing.
The problem is not just the author's reliance on mere summary (e.g., after a poorly rendered conversation in which he learns of his father's death, "Joe's anger turned to numbness as he stood there"); it's not just the clumsy transitions from his meaningless life to imagined depictions of bygone times that insist everything presumed to be nice in "America's Finest City" was built on lies, cruelty, greed, and injustice, or other transitions to shallow riffs on a stereotyped homeless guy, a stereotyped suburban airhead, etc. It's not even that all of this is obviously so much leftwing ax-grinding. That much is okay in itself, because everybody who writes produces some degree of schlock. (I too might have written something like this in my twenties.) But even Joe, presumably a stand-in for the author, recognizes at least some of the time that there's no merit in the stuff he types out. Joe wisely deletes it. Miller on the other hand not only thought he'd written something of value, but he found somebody willing to publish it.
In reading, I figured Joe was probably in his early twenties. At that age I felt the same alienation he experiences on seeing the well-dressed guy with "own-the-world talk." Turns out he's really thirty-five. I guess that's the point at which the story lost me. Because someone who has spent ten years failing to come to terms with the world is a loser. Especially if he pins its imperfections on the people, past or present, who figured out how to accomplish something.
Local color or not, I don't have time for this.
August 10, 2021
Description:
"Drift is a novel composed of various intersecting narratives that combine to create a mosaic of the San Diego city space and the sea of lives that inhabit it. The central narrative charts a few months of the aimless life of Joe Blake, a downwardly mobile part-time English instructor and aspiring poet, as he falls in love with a former student, Theresa Sanchez, a single mother struggling to find herself in the midst of the daily grind. As the connection between the two of them becomes more profound, they discover a common yearning for a more authentic life, a deeper sense of being. On their journey they explore the meaning of identity, community, sexuality, spirituality, and justice.
"This central story is interrupted throughout by minor tales that intersect with the main narrative. When Joe wanders through Tijuana, the reader also encounters a drunken sailor and a prostitute. Later on, the novel follows the descent of one of Joe's students into homelessness and insanity. This narrative is juxtaposed with that of a pious office worker fleeing to the suburbs at rush hour. As the novel continues, the minor characters include a retired cannery worker, a flophouse resident, a cultural critic, an editor, a labor organizer, a Vietnamese immigrant working in a restaurant, a Somalian taxi driver, a maid in a desert motel, a speed addict, an elderly blues man, a suicidal businessman, and others. Their stories range from the sacred to the profane and take the reader to a wide range of locations and consciousnesses.
"In addition to these minor tales, the novel also includes a series of historical narratives that tell the story of the Mission Indians, the city founders, Emma Goldman, the Wobblies, the Theosophists, Henry Miller, Herbert Marcuse, the city's days as a health resort, farm labor wars in the 1930s and 60s, and the disaster of the Salton Sea. This historical meta-narrative does not directly comment on the stories of the novel, but rather provides context for the story of the city itself and story of the time from which Joe ultimately cannot escape. Set in the late nineties, the novel captures the hollowness and unease that underlay the boom years. In sum, Drift is a philosophical, historical, and political novel that challenges traditional narrative forms and takes the reader on a journey that, hopefully, will result in both discovery and more questioning."
Source: http://www.jimmillerauthor.com/_i_dri...
Storyline:
Issue-oriented: Explores controversial themes, which may cover emotional, ethical, or social problems.
Sweeping: These sprawling stories span decades or generations and frequently include multiple locations and historical events.
Tone:
Explicit: This book contains lots of vividly described sex ranging from plainest but plentiful vanilla to the kinkests of kink
Disturbing: Approaching the darker side of human nature, this book is unsettling and often portray social marginalized or dysfunctional individuals.
Sardonic: Dry humor and bitting wit set the tone of this book.
Strong sense of place: Powerfully depicted locales-- real or imaginary--come alive and give a good sense of what makes a place unique. The author describes places in present San Diego and historical San Diego with great detail and familiarity.
Reflective: This contemplative book features the main character, Joe, who thinks seriously about his life and place in the world.
Writing Style:
Gritty: Characterized by a narrative style that includes dark and unsettling details, these books often depict violence. The violence depicted is mild.
Lush: Descriptive language evokes the sense, making readers feel as if they are experiencing what is being described.
Lyrical: Graceful, beautiful language, often with a rhythmic or poetic quality.
Dialect-filled: Regional lingo and colloquialism bring the setting to life.
Characters:
Awkward: Often unsure of themselves, these characters lack the social savvy to
navigate relationships and other interpersonal situations smoothly.
Sarcastic: These characters sometimes employ sarcasm for humor, and sometimes in response to difficult or challenging situations.
Sympathetic: While sometimes dealing with difficult situations or making poor
decisions, these characters are presented in such a way that readers empathize with them.
Snarky: These characters employ sarcasm, irony and biting wit in their approach to life (and often have fun with it!)
Location: San Diego County, California (USA); Southern California; Tijuana, Centro, Baja California, Mexico; Salton Sea, California, (USA)
Subjects/Topics discussed in book:
#San Diego Local History #Max Miller
#Wobblies #Industrial Workers of the World #IWW #Jack Mosby
#Emma Goldman #John Diedrich Spreckels #George Marston
#Balboa Park #Downtown San Diego #Kate Sessions
#Aspiring Poet #Unemployed College Professor
#Pablo Neruda (Poet)
#San Diego Chinatown
#Salton Sea #Bombay Beach #Desert Shores #Salton City #M. Penn Phillips
#United Farm Workers #UFC
#illegal migration #forced labor #slave labor
Related Subjects:
California, Southern -- Fiction.
Southern California.
San Diego, California. Description and travel.
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.) -- History.
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.) -- Description and travel.
California -- San Diego -- Balboa Park.
California --, 1910s-1930s- San Diego -- Fiction
California --, 1960s- San Diego -- Fiction
California --, 2000- San Diego -- Fiction
California -- San Diego -- Fiction
California -- San Diego -- Historical Fiction
List of Articles related to text:
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1...
https://sandiegohistory.org/archives/...
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2...#
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2...
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2...
Music Mention in Book:
“Epistrophy” by Thelonious Monk
“Body and Soul” by Dexter Gordon
“My Favorite Things” by John Coltrane
“Crazy” by Patsy Cline
Album “Giant Steps” 1960 by John Coltrane
Reactions to Book:
"The city [San Diego] sold itself as Spiritual Mecca of Theosophy, a life giving sanitarium for the dying, the Progressive City Beautiful, the Port of the Pacific, America's Finest City, a sunny tourist theme park. Like Gatsby's mansion, the city [San Diego] is the material manifestation of a colossal illusion...."
The characters in this story "drift" causally the streets of San Diego juxtaposing the wealthy class, the working class and the poor. Also, the narrative flashes back often to San Diego's dark past; a violet police force, exploitation of people, corrupt government officials and the wealthy class that are pulling the strings.
And yet the two main characters attempt to find their own truths and life meaning/purpose. Joe, a local under-employed college professor who is San Diego local history buff wanders or "drifts" the streets of San Diego with the jazzy tunes of John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Thelonious Monk with a dislike of the gentrification of San Diego; and falls in love with Teresa (a single mother, former student of Joe). Like Joe, Teresa also attempts to find her own life purpose and drifts into Joe's life as they wander the streets of San Diego together.
Interest fact:
University of the Sun= University of San Diego
South Bay Community College = Southwestern Community College
Central College = San Diego City College
Author does not mention these institutions by name but I am from San Diego and I figured it out by the hints and descriptions given by the author.
"Drift is a novel composed of various intersecting narratives that combine to create a mosaic of the San Diego city space and the sea of lives that inhabit it. The central narrative charts a few months of the aimless life of Joe Blake, a downwardly mobile part-time English instructor and aspiring poet, as he falls in love with a former student, Theresa Sanchez, a single mother struggling to find herself in the midst of the daily grind. As the connection between the two of them becomes more profound, they discover a common yearning for a more authentic life, a deeper sense of being. On their journey they explore the meaning of identity, community, sexuality, spirituality, and justice.
"This central story is interrupted throughout by minor tales that intersect with the main narrative. When Joe wanders through Tijuana, the reader also encounters a drunken sailor and a prostitute. Later on, the novel follows the descent of one of Joe's students into homelessness and insanity. This narrative is juxtaposed with that of a pious office worker fleeing to the suburbs at rush hour. As the novel continues, the minor characters include a retired cannery worker, a flophouse resident, a cultural critic, an editor, a labor organizer, a Vietnamese immigrant working in a restaurant, a Somalian taxi driver, a maid in a desert motel, a speed addict, an elderly blues man, a suicidal businessman, and others. Their stories range from the sacred to the profane and take the reader to a wide range of locations and consciousnesses.
"In addition to these minor tales, the novel also includes a series of historical narratives that tell the story of the Mission Indians, the city founders, Emma Goldman, the Wobblies, the Theosophists, Henry Miller, Herbert Marcuse, the city's days as a health resort, farm labor wars in the 1930s and 60s, and the disaster of the Salton Sea. This historical meta-narrative does not directly comment on the stories of the novel, but rather provides context for the story of the city itself and story of the time from which Joe ultimately cannot escape. Set in the late nineties, the novel captures the hollowness and unease that underlay the boom years. In sum, Drift is a philosophical, historical, and political novel that challenges traditional narrative forms and takes the reader on a journey that, hopefully, will result in both discovery and more questioning."
Source: http://www.jimmillerauthor.com/_i_dri...
Storyline:
Issue-oriented: Explores controversial themes, which may cover emotional, ethical, or social problems.
Sweeping: These sprawling stories span decades or generations and frequently include multiple locations and historical events.
Tone:
Explicit: This book contains lots of vividly described sex ranging from plainest but plentiful vanilla to the kinkests of kink
Disturbing: Approaching the darker side of human nature, this book is unsettling and often portray social marginalized or dysfunctional individuals.
Sardonic: Dry humor and bitting wit set the tone of this book.
Strong sense of place: Powerfully depicted locales-- real or imaginary--come alive and give a good sense of what makes a place unique. The author describes places in present San Diego and historical San Diego with great detail and familiarity.
Reflective: This contemplative book features the main character, Joe, who thinks seriously about his life and place in the world.
Writing Style:
Gritty: Characterized by a narrative style that includes dark and unsettling details, these books often depict violence. The violence depicted is mild.
Lush: Descriptive language evokes the sense, making readers feel as if they are experiencing what is being described.
Lyrical: Graceful, beautiful language, often with a rhythmic or poetic quality.
Dialect-filled: Regional lingo and colloquialism bring the setting to life.
Characters:
Awkward: Often unsure of themselves, these characters lack the social savvy to
navigate relationships and other interpersonal situations smoothly.
Sarcastic: These characters sometimes employ sarcasm for humor, and sometimes in response to difficult or challenging situations.
Sympathetic: While sometimes dealing with difficult situations or making poor
decisions, these characters are presented in such a way that readers empathize with them.
Snarky: These characters employ sarcasm, irony and biting wit in their approach to life (and often have fun with it!)
Location: San Diego County, California (USA); Southern California; Tijuana, Centro, Baja California, Mexico; Salton Sea, California, (USA)
Subjects/Topics discussed in book:
#San Diego Local History #Max Miller
#Wobblies #Industrial Workers of the World #IWW #Jack Mosby
#Emma Goldman #John Diedrich Spreckels #George Marston
#Balboa Park #Downtown San Diego #Kate Sessions
#Aspiring Poet #Unemployed College Professor
#Pablo Neruda (Poet)
#San Diego Chinatown
#Salton Sea #Bombay Beach #Desert Shores #Salton City #M. Penn Phillips
#United Farm Workers #UFC
#illegal migration #forced labor #slave labor
Related Subjects:
California, Southern -- Fiction.
Southern California.
San Diego, California. Description and travel.
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.) -- History.
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.) -- Description and travel.
California -- San Diego -- Balboa Park.
California --, 1910s-1930s- San Diego -- Fiction
California --, 1960s- San Diego -- Fiction
California --, 2000- San Diego -- Fiction
California -- San Diego -- Fiction
California -- San Diego -- Historical Fiction
List of Articles related to text:
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1...
https://sandiegohistory.org/archives/...
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2...#
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2...
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2...
Music Mention in Book:
“Epistrophy” by Thelonious Monk
“Body and Soul” by Dexter Gordon
“My Favorite Things” by John Coltrane
“Crazy” by Patsy Cline
Album “Giant Steps” 1960 by John Coltrane
Reactions to Book:
"The city [San Diego] sold itself as Spiritual Mecca of Theosophy, a life giving sanitarium for the dying, the Progressive City Beautiful, the Port of the Pacific, America's Finest City, a sunny tourist theme park. Like Gatsby's mansion, the city [San Diego] is the material manifestation of a colossal illusion...."
The characters in this story "drift" causally the streets of San Diego juxtaposing the wealthy class, the working class and the poor. Also, the narrative flashes back often to San Diego's dark past; a violet police force, exploitation of people, corrupt government officials and the wealthy class that are pulling the strings.
And yet the two main characters attempt to find their own truths and life meaning/purpose. Joe, a local under-employed college professor who is San Diego local history buff wanders or "drifts" the streets of San Diego with the jazzy tunes of John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Thelonious Monk with a dislike of the gentrification of San Diego; and falls in love with Teresa (a single mother, former student of Joe). Like Joe, Teresa also attempts to find her own life purpose and drifts into Joe's life as they wander the streets of San Diego together.
Interest fact:
University of the Sun= University of San Diego
South Bay Community College = Southwestern Community College
Central College = San Diego City College
Author does not mention these institutions by name but I am from San Diego and I figured it out by the hints and descriptions given by the author.
February 23, 2025
We read this book for my class at college, and people had strong opinions about this book. Some people hated it, I loved it, in fact it has quickly become one of my favorite books. I grew up in San Diego, my parents grew up in San Diego, my grandparents grew up in San Diego, and my great grandparents grew up in San Diego, so my personal connection to this place runs deep. It was amazing to see all these tiny little places I love be represented. One of the major critiques that came up was that people got lost in Miller’s meticulous references to every place he sees on his path. I thought this was important because it gave a feeling of “drifting,” which was a major theme of the book, the paradox of giving meaning to a meaningless existence. After all, San Diego is just a regular city with both good and bad that we have projected a mythology onto. Another thing I liked about the book were the perspective shifts from chapter to chapter, I got excited to see who we would hear from next, and it made me pay closer attention to background characters. I think my favorite part of this book is how it rounds out San Diego. It’s not just a paradise here, it’s a real place with real people, not immune from America’s flawed history, exploitation, and drugs. At the same time, it is a beautiful city, both things can be true. Overall, I love this book and have recommended it to so many San Diegans because it’s important to support local authors, and it’s important to have a complete picture of our city.
February 15, 2025
I didn't like the scenes when Joe walked the streets looking at buildings. I couldn't connect as a reader to those scenes and it seemed that the sex scenes were only there to balance out the boringness of the rest of it. Otherwise the language was advanced and I learned a lot of new words
July 20, 2024
Profe Miller never disappoints!!
September 10, 2013
Drift is a little bit dry but it has some interesting comments on life in San Diego, labor rights, race issues, and community. Joe is an English teacher at both the fancy private college and the downtown community college. He likes to drift through the streets, observing people and power relations as he goes. He has a pretty solid love affair with one of his past students, whose parents were advocates for agricultural labor rights. The sex scenes are some of the more enjoyable and believable parts of the book.
The book jumps perspectives almost every other chapter, so it can sometimes be hard to keep up with who is the focal character (mostly in limited 3rd person perspective). Interspersed with the perspective pieces are chapters purely relating stories from San Diego's history. The book takes a firmly liberal stance on the side of minorities and workers, and its most vital purpose is to tell their stories. Despite that I can relate to and believe many of the perspective pieces, I find myself skeptical of the writer's authenticity, because he's a white male college professor himself and it is probably all speculation. I'll keep an eye out for local history alternative stories written by the people who experienced them. I'll give this book major points for getting me to be interested in local history, though.
The book jumps perspectives almost every other chapter, so it can sometimes be hard to keep up with who is the focal character (mostly in limited 3rd person perspective). Interspersed with the perspective pieces are chapters purely relating stories from San Diego's history. The book takes a firmly liberal stance on the side of minorities and workers, and its most vital purpose is to tell their stories. Despite that I can relate to and believe many of the perspective pieces, I find myself skeptical of the writer's authenticity, because he's a white male college professor himself and it is probably all speculation. I'll keep an eye out for local history alternative stories written by the people who experienced them. I'll give this book major points for getting me to be interested in local history, though.
Read
September 17, 2014Read it when it was new. Not a great story or writing, but fun to read something by a local, and very vocal writer
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