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Spring 2025 Whitsett Lecture: California’s Great Dilemma To Grow or Not Grow in a Time of Climate Change
April 17 at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Special Guest: Mark Arax, Author and Journalist
About this Event:
Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion with acclaimed author and journalist Mark Arax as he explores one of California’s most pressing challenges: the tension between growth and sustainability in the face of climate change. Drawing from his extensive research and award-winning works on California’s water, agriculture, and land-use policies, Arax will examine the state’s complex relationship with expansion, development, and environmental stewardship.
As California grapples with record droughts, wildfires, and shifting climate patterns, the question of whether—and how—the state should continue to grow has never been more urgent. This conversation will delve into the political, economic, and ecological forces shaping California’s future, offering insights into the difficult choices ahead.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of the leading voices in investigative journalism and environmental reporting. A Q&A session will follow the talk.
📅 Date: April 17, 2025
📍 Location: Whitsett Room | Sierra Hall | Room 451
⏰ Time: 6:00PM
✉️ RSVP: Please email in advance to history@csun.edu
About Mark Arax:
Mark Arax is an author and journalist whose writings on California and the West have received numerous awards for literary nonfiction. A former staffer at the Los Angeles Times, his work has appeared in The New York Times and the California Sunday Magazine. Arax has been called a “21st Century John Steinbeck” for his books that pry open the soul of California. A writer of essays, history, biography and journalism, he is a two-time winner of the California Book Award and a recipient of Stanford University’s William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. His most recent work, The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California, a national bestseller, has been hailed by critics as one of the most important books ever written about the West. The New York Times has named the The Dreamt Land and one of Mark’s previous books, The King of California, to a short list of California’s best literature over the past 150 years.
Additional Information:
- A light dinner will be served. Please RSVP via email to history@csun.edu.
- This event is free and open to the public.
- Parking is available in the B3 structure via Info Booth 2 at Prairie St. & Darby Ave. for $10.50.
- For additional information, please contact the History Department via email at history@csun.edu.
Requesting Accommodations:
Communication services (sign language, interpreters, notetakers, real-time captionists or assistive listening devices) are available for this event. Requests for services must be submitted at least five (5) working days in advance.
