Book Update

Clifford Clinton

You haven't heard from us for awhile because we've been hard at work finalizing the manuscript for the biography of Clifton's Cafeteria founder Clifford Clinton. We have a few updates for you about the title, a special guest introduction, and unpublished photographs and a tentative publication month.

We have finalized the book's title with our publisher, Angel City Press, as "Clifton's and Clifford Clinton: A Cafeteria and a Crusader." The book is tentatively scheduled for publication in October of 2015.

The book is a retelling of the establishment of Clifton's Cafeteria during the Great Depression in Los Angeles and the vivid life of its founder. The book is based on Clifford's unpublished memoirs, and has been authored by Edmond J. Clinton III, his grandson.

We're pleased to announce that the introduction has been written by Los Angeles historian Tom Sitton, who has published books about the progressive movement in the 1930s through '50s, the Bannings, and the history of Catalina Island.

To illustrate the story, we will include several galleries of photographs, including some that have never been published.

The publishing of the book should generally coincide with the reopening of Clifton's Brookdale at 648 S. Broadway. The cafeteria is being restored by developer Andrew Meieran, the man behind The Edison lounge at 108 W. Second St. Stay tuned.