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Posts published in “Essays”

An Aunt’s Immigration Tale

“But my father’s dying.” I didn’t want to say the word “dying” because I still had hope for a miracle and was superstitious about such pronouncements, but needs must at a visa interview at the…

Whatever Happened to the Old House Piano?

In our present digital age many once-beloved pianos are junked rather than sold, as a trying NY Times video of a couple years ago unsparingly dramatizes. Yet in spite of its declining status, the piano…

Preaching The Truth (Patrick Ford, Part 4)

Author’s Note: For the first time in over seven years, the Ford brothers — Mark, Patrick, and Robben — will share the same stage — and it will be in their home town of Ukiah…

Barbara McNair’s Unsung Heroism

When Barbara McNair died in February of 2007, not a single obituary mentioned her role in bringing down the lawyer who effectively owned Erhard Seminar Training (est) and the pitchman himself, Werner Erhard. The obits…

The Battered Bastards of Baseball

Critics still argue about which book might qualify as the greatest American novel. Moby-Dick, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and numerous others have been put forth as candidates. The “just-the-facts-ma'am” answer lies in Philip Roth's 1973…

Heaven & Hell

On their way to a matinee of the San Francisco Ballet, Roger and Susan must stand for the entire journey in a crowded subway car. They are wearing heavy coats on this chilly November day,…

Online Dating: Are You Game?

To protect my identity, I am going to call myself Bonnie. To give you some history, I was in a relationship that broke up and I was devastated. I thought online dating would be fun,…

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