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Posts published in “Essays”

The Abbie & Amy Show

It wasn’t Abbie Hoffman’s finest moment. But it was one of them. It was a critical moment in 1987 when he and the daughter of a president protested against the presence of the CIA and…

Reflections On Pancho Villa & The Fall Of Dictators

Dictators – whether in Spain, South Africa, Romania or Syria — retain power for decades. They can seem impregnable and invulnerable. But they always fall, and when they do fall the world acts surprised. It…

Homeless, Then & Now [2008]

I came here from Wyoming, like Fremont, in moccasins. And like Fremont I met some Native Americans along the way. I remember one laconic old warrior in particular. He gave me a ride on his…

When There Were Radicals In Mendocino County

The history of Mendocino County is told in fits and starts, in family memoirs, old timer interviews and in whispered references to long-ago scandals only hinted at by the newspapers of the time. “The Nelson…

Lighten Up, America! [2003]

Watching the high school kids tottering up the hiking trail under ridiculous burdens I was reminded of the studies of GIs who jumped into the surf in the Normandy landings with 80 pound packs on…

Boonville Pioneers

During the early settlement of Anderson Valley there were two factions of cattlemen between whom there existed bad blood. Several men were killed. On one occasion both factions met in Boonville. Two members of the…

Growing Up Hippie

Growing up in my family was a trip. At any time I could be hauled off to an impromptu gathering overrun by urchins with names like Gaia, Tao, Cinnamon, and Raven. We once visited some…

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