River Stories

There were snakes in that river. That’s why we were never to go there alone. I never saw a snake, but I knew they were there. My mom said so. We had just moved here in June. We would have moved earlier but Mom said we had to wait for the end of the school … Continue reading River Stories

Kaleidoscope Rocks the Literary World!

Dina Towbin wrote this great piece about the writers reading event in Lima this month. I got to read one of my short stories again. It was fun! Now that Covid has forced us to go virtual, our annual event has become very international, allowing many more of us to participate. Nevertheless, I know we … Continue reading Kaleidoscope Rocks the Literary World!

Sitting Around on Porches

There's a reason, I tell her, why I don't live in the most beautiful place in the world any more. So many memories. Like most good experiences, the years can erase the bad parts. Or if not erase, maybe at least blur them to a comfortable haze. So many memories are centered around transportation on … Continue reading Sitting Around on Porches

Southern Writer from New England

I feel confused over my obsession with southern writers. Sometimes I can’t figure out if my story is about characters from my New England upbringing or about folks from the South. Both places offer a rich opportunity to write about strange people with peculiar accents. Both have a relationship with certain types of food. But … Continue reading Southern Writer from New England

One of the Famous Authors from “My Island”

This video about the author Ernest Gann has many scenes from "my island" - San Juan Island in Washington state, where I lived for many years. A prolific author and artist, Gann always followed his passions - flying, boats, jumping out of an airplane in his 70's. Gann wrote numerous top selling books, including "Fate … Continue reading One of the Famous Authors from “My Island”

My Island Life

A Hundred Years Ago - or so it seems, although by the date on the front page, I see that it was actually 27 years past - I wrote this article about what was then my life. Sometimes I think I really miss that life. Well, maybe not that life, but certain parts of it. … Continue reading My Island Life

My Town

This photo article was published a while back. It was a fun research project walking around my neighborhood taking photos of amazing old houses. ABOVE - THE CUPOLA. The iconic image of the district of Magdalena del Mar will soon disappear. Well perhaps not totally disappear, but certainly from my vantage point a few blocks away and … Continue reading My Town

Southern Accents

"And try not to sound so damned yankee!" Not the typical advice from a law professor perhaps, but she hadn’t asked for advice on interpreting some obscure community property ruling. Her need on this sweltering Mississippi afternoon was for advice on how to talk to the judge who would rule on her punishment for the … Continue reading Southern Accents

Stories Remembered

My New England stories are based on my memories of growing up in a small New England town. The stories, and the memories, are so much a part of me that I don't always know which parts are something I experienced and which parts live in the imagination of my mind or the shared past … Continue reading Stories Remembered