David Perlis, raised in San Rafael, always felt a deeper story lingered within Marin’s landscape. His curiosity grew as he drove past familiar locations, wondering about their historical significance. Books like Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums and Van Morrison’s music fueled his desire to uncover Marin’s hidden narratives.
Despite extensive research, he found no existing book that pieced together these fragments, leading him to write Morning in Marin: Zen, Drugs, and Ewoks on the California Coast. Over five years, he explored archives, personal histories, and interviews, aiming to create a narrative rich in atmosphere and character, rather than a dry historical account.
To Perlis’s surprise, he discovered Marin’s cultural impact radiated beyond the Bay Area, influencing national and global trends through notable figures like the Beats and the Grateful Dead. He coined the term “Marinaissance” to describe this cultural movement, arguing that Marin deserves recognition for its contributions.
Morning in Marin is now available in bookstores and online via heydaybooks.com.
