I hope this response isn't too late to be useful (not that I'm guaranteeing that it'll be useful at all!).
Depending on the school, it might not matter if your undergrad degree is in a different field. It sounds like our interests are pretty similar. I majored in English as well, and I'm applying to new media-related programs this year. It looks like there are people with various backgrounds in UCSC's DANM program, and they no longer have a programming requirement. I'm also applying to SF State's Industrial Arts MA, with a concentration in Visual Communication/New Media, and they will accept students with unrelated degrees conditionally. Once you complete a semester of design courses and pass a portfolio review, you're advanced to candidacy status.
Since you're interested in California, have you looked into California College of Arts' Design MFA with a focus on interaction design, or SF Art Institute's Design+Technology MFA? CalArts might also have something that's a good fit for you.