… from various points:

• Santa Barbara: “The press in this country has been intimidated enough. I won’t let that happen in my community. If we don’t have a free press, how do we know what’s really going on?” — teacher Ann Bermingham, one of 500 locals (!) who turned out Tuesday to protest newsroom upheavals at the Santa Barbara News-Press.

• San Francisco: “I came in to mourn. I’m just really sad.” — shopper Gail Jouida, at this week’s closing of A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books.

• Sacramento: “I like to think that I have more integrity than many journalists because if it’s a choice between getting the best story and trying to be a good person, I will choose the latter. I don’t betray confidences.” — author William T. Vollmann, in conversation with Poets & Writers magazine.

• Monterey: “I think it is safe to say that the life of Edward F. Ricketts is the most celebrated ‘untold’ story in the history of American arts and sciences.” — writer Geoffrey Dunn, on the wave of books about the marine biologist who was John Steinbeck’s best friend.

• San Diego: “California’s governor has been there. So have Frank Capra and Francis Coppola. And of course there are always plenty of Klingons and Stormtroopers.” —