Maxine Hung Kingston’s Tripmaster Monkey and Rebecca Solnit’s Hollow City are two very different books, but each give insight into two very important pieces of the San Francisco puzzle.
Tripmaster Monkey is a very unique book that changes with every page. The protagonist Wittman Ah Sing is a witty, rebellious hippie poet, trying to make sense of the world and the city that surrounds him. Kingston gives the book a distinctive flair, including humor and observation on every page. Wittman’s mind wanders as he is having conversations with girls, writing, or working, and the reader is able to learn much from his silent surveillance and scrutiny of others. The way the writing revolves around Wittman’s thoughts makes him an even more realistic character and makes the book far more enjoyable to read. There are lots of references to beat poets and famous San Francisco areas so, even though this is not a work of non-fiction, the reader is still able to learn a lot about the city of San Francisco.
Hollow City is a work of non-fiction, and if that’s your cup of tea you are in for a treat (that was a lot of clichés for one line. I apologize.). The book dives into and dissects the changing arena of San Francisco. Specifically, Solnit looks at how the changes affect the artists of the area and how the changes are created. She criticizes the city for making it more difficult for struggling artists to live. The story includes a good history of art in the city as well as many wonderful pictures. A great gift for this holiday season!
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