A collection of essays about writers, who lived in, or passed through, Santa Barbara, then passed on and away. From the 19th to the 21st centuries, from the author of the city's first literary work to some great 20th century writers. From the hardly-known to the well-known, but all, more or less forgotten. But, at least in Gilbar's opinion, worth remembering, in most instances for the interesting lives they lived rather than their work.

This book is intended to supplement Literary Santa Barbara, a comprehensive history of Santa Barbara literature that Gilbar and Dean Stewart published in 1998.

Steven Gilbar has seen published several books about literary Santa Barbara, including Tales of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Stories, and Santa Barbara: Literary Landscapes.