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Posts published in “Essays”

River Views

Open enrollment for health insurance under the Affordable Health Care Act began on October 1st. Anthem Blue Cross, California’s largest for-profit health insurance company, sent out notices of open enrollment that didn’t reach many customers…

Dancing Flutes

The Bach family’s fascination with, and seminal con­tributions to, the flute repertoire orbits around the musi­cal centers of Dresden and Berlin. It was in these capital cities of Saxony and Prussia respectively that Germany’s greatest…

Shameless Self-Promotion

In those long ago days when I was invited to read from my novels in bookstores and libraries, and for col­lege audiences and writers groups, I was frequently asked if I had any helpful advice for people who wanted to become writers and make their livings from writing.

The Doris Lessing I Knew

From her obituaries, and the serious critical assess­ments of her work, I hardly recognize the Doris Lessing I knew. I don’t fault the obit writers (I used to be one) or critics and admirers for…

Autumn 1963

Friday, November 22, was going to be my last day of civilian employment in Manhattan, barring a miracle. I was supposed to start basic training at Fort Polk, Louisi­ana, on Sunday the 24th. I had…

We May Never Know

With the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassina­tion just around the corner, we can expect the media to be inundated with solemn remembrances, first-person rec­ollections, and extravagant revisionism. Alas, every heavy-duty plot and whacked-out account…

HumCo DA Gallegos Won’t Run For Re-Election

The county’s upcoming district attorney election will have a new dynamic now that incumbent Humboldt County DA Paul Gallegos has announced that he won’t be in it. In a Nov. 20 press release, Gallegos said…

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