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LEAVING TOWN IN THE 70’S, A MICRO MEMOIR

When you say you’re leaving town for good it doesn’t start with a packed bag. You need to let the landlord know, the boss know, your friends. The best town I ever left was the Brooklyn borough of New York City. See ya, suckers.

REWRITING HISTORY: HOW HARD CAN IT BE

People are rewriting history all of the time and don’t know it. If you repeat what you’ve heard to one person, and it turns out to be not accurate, what’s the big deal? Not so big for one person, but what if you repeat what you know to be false to millions of people? Do […]

CHEMO STORY FROM THE MEMOIR WIP

One chemo story is not much different than another: Cancer diagnosis, testing, further testing, test some more, then sign up for the juice. Not much different until it’s you, and it’s your story. So why not write it? Here’s what it looks like:

OREGON SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COVERS AND MORE

Oregon sports didn’t begin with Steve Prefontaine, but he was the first Oregonian on the cover of Sports Illustrated. At least that’s what the smart-guy talent online say. Sports Illustrated and I were born the same year. With the end of the magazine this week everyone is sad. I’m sad even though my subscription lapsed […]

BEACH TOWN? THERE’S ONLY ONE

Beach town is where I grew up. We had beaches all over the place, surrounded by beaches. But it was a bay town, a town on Coos Bay. Just not Coos Bay.

SPORTS FAN REVIEW: IN THE BEGINNING

Sports fan knows one thing: Rivalry. Without rivalry, sporting events resemble theater without the curtains. With rivalry we feel something deeper, way deeper, way down there. If you come from a certain time and place the only rivals that mattered were the Marshfield High School Pirates. But, everyone grows up. Right?

BETTER VIEW FOR BETTER TIMES

This better view comes from Front Street in Coos Bay. Better than what? It’s a better view than the parking lot outside my motel door, but I’m not complaining. A ship, a bay, and a dream of discovery. What else would you want?

HOMEWARD BOUND FOR NORTH BEND TOWN

Homeward bound will always be North Bend, Oregon. For me, maybe not you. What feels like a nice memory is more than that. Let’s go with a living testament to the hardworking people who still call it home. Hard working?

BOOMER MEDICINE: THEY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE?

Boomer medicine comes in the same variety as everyone else’s: What works. And what doesn’t work. But for boomers there’s an extra additive.

ONE PORTLAND BABY BOOMER DECADE

My Portland baby boomer decade began in 1980. It began when I stepped off the bus after a three day ride from Manhattan. (Hey, B.) For twenty-six year old me it was a life changer. By 1990 I was heading out.