Category Personal
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
February 27, 2005 Where to begin with Hunter Thompson? At the beginning, I guess: Dan McNelly, a fraternity brother, handing me a copy of Hell’s Angels in 1967 and saying, “You’ve got to read this.” (Dan also gave me a copy of Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me by Richard Fariña; […]
Two Funerals
:: My Grandfather’s Funeral :: March 18, 1968 This piece was originally written for a composition class at Syracuse University. The instructor, Mr. Taggart, was trying to make something of my “self-satisfied writing style.” I still remember his efforts, and appreciate them. I have changed a word or two, and added notes from a journal […]
Dorothy Reddington
Abbie, Kihm, [Bill] and Dorothy November 12, 2004 Dorothy Reddington was no mystery to me. Yes, when Laurie and I walked into Sage Chapel on the Cornell University campus for her memorial service, Roy Orbison’s “Mystery Girl” was playing. And there was some mystery about where the rest rooms were in this ancient building, the […]
Abbie Stories
Abbie was born December 2, 1983, and joined our family on January 27, 1984. These are a few of the stories from her childhood that I did not want to lose. * * * We met Abbie on a Wednesday at Catholic Charities, in an upstairs room, in an old building. It was equipped as […]
Chris Zenowich
There are two kinds of writers in advertising: writers who learn by accident they can make a living there, and advertising people who love the business but can’t draw. I was the former, a writer who discovered that as a copywriter I could pay the bills. One day at Silverman Mower in Syracuse, N.Y., where […]
My Mom
My mother, Jean Braun Winship, was born on January 2, 1916, and died on March 27, 2003. She had a long life with her share of difficulties, but she always tried, quietly, to rise above them. I have some stories from her, of her childhood, and I don’t want to lose them, so here they […]
Terry Johnson
There is no escape from Terry Johnson. The other day, I was leafing through a book of photos, and there was a young woman with a tattoo that read, “Just shoot me now… Don’t take me to Fort Smith” – a reference to the historic seat of judgment for outlaws in Arkansas. I instantly, helplessly, […]
Ralph’s Zabuton
Some years ago, at my brother-in-law’s wedding, I was informed that the father of the bride was a sumo fan, and so I sought out Ralph Tsuha at the reception and we had a wonderful conversation about the sport and our favorite rikishi. Ralph was a gentleman, and a gentle man; small in stature, he […]
Mrs. Field
October 16, 2005 Seeing a few minutes of a baseball playoff game this past week brought Mrs. Field back to mind. Her son George was in my Cub Scout pack; I first met her while learning the ancient art of soap carving in their basement on Belmont Avenue. Mr. Field taught us Cubs how to […]
Evelyn
January 2009 Evelyn was a giant, the first I ever met. She was my grandmother’s cleaning lady. Before I was old enough for school, I went with my mother to Grandma’s house every week, and we often went on cleaning day. Evelyn wore faded house dresses, and slippers that showed her bare heels. Her arms […]
Faithful Readers 