Events › Reconsidering Joaquin Miller with Kristen Caven

Although he is greatly respected in other parts of the world, Oaklanders have mixed feelings about Joaquin Miller, the colorful literary figure whose name is on a park. Is this about Oakland or Miller? Both share a remarkable essence, a complex character—and a cloudy reputation. Kristen Caven, the California Writers Club Writer in Residence at Joaquin Miller Park, shares her insights on Miller and why she thinks we should reconsider the opinions of his detractors.

Joaquin Miller in a portrait from the Oakland History Center's collection. 

Kristen Caven is an Oakland writer, producer, and cultural artist who cartoon-chronicled the 1990 Mills Strike, wrote the Oaktoberfest play, The Dirndl Diaspora, and directed The Zorgos Project, distributing her book The Bullying Antidote to 3,000 Oakland parents. Her blog, Walkin’ with Joaquin, feeds to the Friends of Joaquin Miller website and www.kristencaven.com.

Kristen Caven in Joaquin Miller Park. Photo by Stephen Flynn

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