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Posts published by “Joe Munson (as told to Jonah Raskin)”

Selling Veggies on the Side of the Road

Here I am sitting on the side of the road, trying to sell tomatoes that won't sell. Actually, I like sitting here all by myself. I have 18 different kinds of organic heirloom tomatoes which…

On Christmas & The Sacred Herb

Here it is the middle of a heat wave and all I can think of, aside from my tomato plants, is a cold cold Christmas when I was in jail. I should have known it…

Joe to Jail, Atsuko to Japan (Part 13)

Atsuko and I were on a superbike traveling fast over the Golden Gate Bridge. I was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol. A cop pulled me over and busted me

My Big Bust (Part 12)

This is the way the bust went down. I was standing in my house with a bag of cat food in my arms, and I was yelling at my kids, “Who fed the cat?” The…

No Avoiding Soda Creek Store (Part 11)

Soda Creek Store sits in the middle of the Mendocino National Forest. For a time I didn’t want to drive by the place because I didn’t want anyone there knowing that I was going in…

Breast Feeding In Court (Part 10)

My wife, Atsuko, and I were in the Mendocino County Courthouse charged with cultivation. Our son, Milo, was two-years-old and nursing. Atsuko breast-fed him right behind the DA’s desk and that unnerved her. She kept…

I Meet Hoyle & Hendry (Part 9)

Someone, I don’t remember who, said “Joe Munson has a target on his back. He’s an outlier with a history.” In fact, it’s not much of an exaggeration to say that I’ve had guns pulled…

I Get to California (Part 8)

On my first trip to California, I hitchhiked on U.S. Route 460, which is a major East/West artery. Right away I got a ride from two girls who were about my age; I was still…

On the Road (Part 7)

At 16, I passed the GED exam, received a high school diploma and was granted emancipation from my parents. I asked my dad if I should join the army. “Hell, no,” he said. “You don’t…

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