Doors, Wars and Outdoors

Gordon Gekko would likely not be interested in reading The Doors’ drummer John Densmore’s new book The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison’s Legacy Goes on Trial. But those who don’t subscribe to the “Greed is good” theory might be intrigued by the 30-year member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s exploration of the “greed gene” – that part of the human psyche that propels us toward the accumulation of more and more wealth, even at the expense of our principles, friendships, and the well-being of society. The case study here is the gripping account of the legal battle to control The Doors’ artistic legacy; namely the conflict between Densmore and his fellow surviving bandmates as they fought over the right to use The Doors’ name, revealing the ways in which this struggle reflected a much larger societal issue of relentless greed. The story has extra resonance as the passel of iconic rock stars accepting boatloads of bucks for their songs or recording catalogs has grown to include artists from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan to Stevie Nicks. Densmore, who has long been a decorated writer, discusses the situation at Santa Barbara Museum of Art on January 28 at 2:30 pm, in a make-up date from November. 

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation hosts a book event at its downtown headquarters that pairs its four-decades-long mission to create a just and peaceful world free of nuclear weapons with the currently foreboding calamity known as climate change. Timmon Wallis, author of Warheads to Windmills: Preventing Climate Catastrophe and Nuclear War, will discuss these two big threats facing our planet and share what individuals can do toward creating a safer and more sustainable world. Visit www.eventbrite.com/e/warheads-to-windmills-preventing-climate-catastrophe-and-nuclear-war-tickets-794749456017 for a free ticket to the 4 pm event on February 1. 

Best-selling and award-winning author Susan Straight, whose most recent novel Mecca was a finalist for The Kirkus Prize and named a best novel of the year by The Washington Post and NPR, is taking to heart the theme of UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center’s 2023-24 series, Imagining California. Straight, who has also taught writing for 35 years at UC Riverside, will share how California geographies outside the typical novel settings of Hollywood or San Francisco are beautiful, tragic and full of narrative depth – set in remote canyons, inland citrus groves, ancient ranchos and hidden deserts, which often give breadth to Straight’s characters. Audience Q&A and a reception follow the free February 1 presentation on campus. Visit https://ihc.ucsb.edu.