Literary Places

This database of writerly destinations—places writers can visit for inspiration, to promote their writing, for research, and to discover community—includes historical sites, reading venues, literary collections, writing centers, and writers spaces. Save your selections to My P&W and populate a personal Google Map that can be used to plan reading tours and visits to literary meccas, or just to keep track of your favorite literary locales.

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Literary Place	City	State
Stanford University's Special Collections and University Archives	Stanford	California
Located at Stanford University, the Special Collections and University Archives house over 48,000 linear feet of original materials, an additional... Literary Archive
Bancroft Library	Berkeley	California
The primary special collections library at the University of California, Berkeley, Bancroft Library houses more than 600,000 volumes, 60... Literary Archive
The Steinbeck House	Salinas	California
Built in 1897 and restored in 1973, this Queen Anne Victorian served as the birthplace and childhood home of John Steinbeck. Today, the house is... Historical Site
Robinson Jeffers Tor House	Carmel	California
Robinson Jeffers built Tor House and Hawk Tower as a home and refuge for himself and his family. It was in Tor House that Jeffers wrote all... Historical Site
Moe's Books	Berkeley	California
Founded in 1959, Moe's Books is an independent bookstore and online bookseller that allows visitors to buy, trade, and sell new, used, and out-of-... Indie Bookstore
Bookshop Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz	California
Founded in 1966, Bookshop Santa Cruz is a large, general independent bookstore located in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, California. ... Indie Bookstore
BookSmart	Morgan Hill	California
BookSmart is a 10,000 square foot independent bookstore that sells books and educational toys, greeting cards, magazines, coffee, ice cream, candy... Indie Bookstore
DIESEL Books	Oakland	California
DIESEL is an independent neighborhood bookstore that hosts regular author events. The store also has branches in Malibu and Santa Monica,... Indie Bookstore
The Avid Reader	Davis	California
The Avid Reader comprises a pair of general-interest independent bookstores located in both downtown Davis, California and in Sacramento,... Indie Bookstore
Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center	Venice	California
Founded in 1968, Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center is located in the Old Town Hall in Venice, California, near the Pacific Ocean. Programs... Indie Bookstore, Reading Venue, Writing Center