Kevin Starr was born on September 3, 1940 in San Francisco, California. He received his BA Degree from the University of San Francisco and his MA Degree in 1965 and his PhD in American literature from Harvard University in 1969. He is a historian known for his series on the history of California entitled "America and the California Dream." He has been a professor at several universities including Berkeley and Stanford. He has written several works including Coast of Dreams and Golden Gate.