Camouflaged clam diggers

I didn’t go clam digging during the last round of low tides. I still have a couple limits in the freezer, and I’m not all that greedy. But I hear-tell I missed a good show. Bless their little city-dwelling hearts, a family of Dad, Mom, and several kids came to the...

Margaret Hamilton’s Hat

Well I remember the thrill I had watching Margaret Hamilton perform at the Seattle Repertory Theater back in 1971. It was a full 32 years after Ms. Hamilton’s career-defining role as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, and slightly before she began doing...

A Novel in a Month Club

Today we’re halfway through November, and for those participating in NaNoWriMo, that means 25,000 words (or more) need to be written by now to finish their novels on time. That’s right, by the midnight deadline on November 30th, an entire book must be completed to...

Remind Me Again

Two months ago I sent a short story in to the “Haunted Astoria” contest for their big Halloween weekend celebration. Writers were encouraged to visit the Clatsop County Historical Museum in Astoria to check out their display, “The Most Wicked Place on Earth,” before...

The French Quarter

Three years ago today, I set foot in the French Quarter of New Orleans for the first time. Walking along Bourbon Street, I felt a sense of belonging I have rarely felt anywhere else, and my life became richer, fuller, and more creative because of it. If I had a...