Dear Writer And suppose there wasn’t a single soul in your audience. Would you write any more or any less? Would you write any better or any worse? Or would you write despite the fact that no one heard a single word? Yes, I believe that write you will and write you must, whether you […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Evening at the Naked Oyster
Pedro Los Dos is back in town. He’s First Mate on The Valparaiso, an oil tanker out of Coos Bay, Oregon. He’s here in Benicia for some R&R so he checks into the Union Hotel and heads for dinner at his favorite waterfront nightspot, The Naked Oyster. He’s got a Rib Eye Steak in mind, […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Handyman Song #12
Yes, it’s true, there really is a “Handyman Song #12.” There were at least 11 earlier versions, so I decided this one would be the last. How did it come about? It’s a long story, a very long story. As a self-employed Handyman for the past 16 years, I chose to advertise in a number […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Songwriting in Benicia
Seriously? Who writes songs in Benicia? I know this old eccentric guy in Benicia, lives up in the hills, comes down from time to time to water his dogs and attends open mics and occasionally sings a song he’s written at a BenLit event at the Rellik Tavern on First Street or maybe at an […]
The A Cappella Handyman: My CD Progress Report
Such a Hoot! As reported in this column two weeks ago, Yes, I’m putting out a NEW CD of my poems and graphics (see cover label attached). In the previous 48 years of writing and publishing I’ve done chapbooks, a DVD, Facebook postings, a creative newsletter “Taproot & Aniseweed,” a weekly BLOG, and this column […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Three Song Concert
All three can be found on YouTube.com: The Box Top Shop I’m gonna open up a Box Top Shop, and sell to all my friends – Maybe hustle up the neighbors for their boxtops, sides, and ends. And if I ever make it to the City Council, I’ll have to sacrifice my seat, ’cause they […]
The A Cappella Handyman: A CD Adventure!
Here it comes, 34 pages of fun! I started thinking last year of an exhibit of my poems and graphics in the Marilyn O’Rourke Gallery in the Benicia City Library. BUT, all that framing and labeling and storage afterwards, why NOT just put out a CD of 34 pages, the hand-picked best of my monthly […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Non-Rhombus Memorial Shed
While setting up our barbecue Monday for our yearly backyard Memorial Day barbecue, I gave some thought to our garden shed from which all good things come (see Photo). It’s a non-rectangular base with non-parallel sides! It sits right next to our kitchen window up against the house and I did NOT want to obstruct […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Benevolent hearts?
What’s wrong with you people? Who returns to their high school or grammar school to waste their peers with an assault rifle meant to be an adversarial killing machine in the resource or imperial wars of the US? Who monitors the decaying mental health of social dropouts and makes sure their parents’ weapons vault is […]
The A Cappella Handyman: Concert at the Naked Oyster
It’s nighttime at The Naked Oyster, the dinner crowd is just finishing up. The waterfront air is permeated with garlic and wild rice. Those in the know are headed to the small stage in the back where the poster says, “Headliners Tonight: Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, and Bob Dylan.” Diamond begins: “It’s a popular song, […]