My own musings thus far

I need a theme, something that connects the literature and is unique. Rawls suggests the dreams, fulfilled, unfilled, reviled, and lost. What do I think about Ca in general and how does this relate to mysteries?

California: land of exaggerated opportunity, the golden state from the gold rush era, where thousands came but few found fortune while most found nothing; the golden state because of the sunny weather, temperate climate, and abundant produce but also a place where migrant farm workers like the Joad family struggled to survive; the land of Hollywood dreams, budding actors come to seek their fame and fortune, but again few succeed; the land of vineyards, wine, and romance; the land of potheads and the "emerald triangle" , the land of the robber-barons, railroad magnates, and destroyers of the land; home of free-speech and protest in Berkeley; welcoming home to the gay population when they where outcasts elsewhere in the nation. Hmmm. Ca the state of outcasts and outlandish dreams. There might be something there.

Berkeley. SF, wine country, LA, Emerald Triangle (Humboldt), Gold Country, Gay haven, Mexican Connection, noir, Hollywood, earthquakes, Asian influence, Chinatowns. What am I missing?

I'm getting closer to a theme, I think.