American Prophet: The Life and Times of Carey McWilliams

Explore the life of radical author Carey McWilliams, who has been described as “the finest nonfiction writer on California — ever" and “the state's most astute political observer.” In this course, you'll survey his body of work, which probed the history of California farm labor, the scourge of racial and ethnic prejudice, and the ravages of McCarthyism, and consider those whose work he influenced. Come learn why McWilliams — who remains unknown to most readers today, not to mention the culture at large — was one of the most versatile and consequential American public intellectuals of the 20th century. 

Faculty Bio

Peter Richardson has written critically acclaimed books about Hunter S. Thompson, the Grateful Dead, Ramparts magazine, and radical author/editor Carey McWilliams. A longtime lecturer at San Francisco State University, Richardson has also written for The Nation, The New Republic, Los Angeles Times Book Review, and San Francisco Chronicle.

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time
• Classes will also be video recorded
• Classes will not meet in person as originally scheduled
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, Jan. 27 and ends on Monday, Feb. 10
• Classes meet for 3 weeks, 2 hours per session (10 AM–noon)
• Videos will post on Fridays in Member Dashboards
• All course materials, including videos, will remain available to view and enjoy through Mar. 30

Member Praise for Peter Richardson

Great instructor. Very knowledgeable and approachable. Highly recommend him. There was nothing that didn't work for me.

Richardson was an excellent teacher who knew his subject matter extremely well. He had outstanding guest speakers, too.

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Peter Richardson from our archive.