Author Novelista
Last spring, I made a deal with my middle-school student. If he turned out a decent essay about a historical sports figure, I’d publish it on my blog. It took a while, but he did it. Today, I’m fulfilling my… Continue Reading →
This post may seem off topic for a history blog, but history is irrelevant if the future is insecure. In a constitutional republic such as ours, that confers an individual responsibility on each of its citizens to vote.** 2018 is… Continue Reading →
What is Cinco de Mayo, really? It isn’t Independence Day in Mexico. It isn’t actually a drinking festival. But what it IS takes a bit of history to understand. And technically, it’s all Napoleon’s fault. Early 1800s In 1808, Napoleon… Continue Reading →
“As I was sitting in the house of an old Californian today, conversing very quietly about the condition of the country, I felt something break on my head, and, starting around, discovered two large black eyes, lighted with their triumph…. Continue Reading →
Jeanne-Marie Suize beat the pants off other women’s rights advocates of the era – quite literally. She didn’t talk about suffrage; she lived it. She ran a successful vineyard. She was the first woman to sign an official petition in… Continue Reading →
Flood and Inferno: A California Legacy California had a banner year for rainfall in 2017. Some areas, according to NOAA, have had more than double the normal amount of rain or snow this winter and spring. My own region has… Continue Reading →
The Great War was far away and long forgotten in rural California, at least before the US got involved. That was the era when my grandfather, Jack, came of age. He wanted to learn scientific ways to improve the family… Continue Reading →
A Historical Perspective for Father’s Day What do you think of when you hear the word, “Hero?” I’ll admit, my family loves superhero movies, so that’s where my brain goes first. But we have a lot of other people… Continue Reading →
Quick quiz: What do you remember about World War I? If you answered “The Red Baron,” you’re not alone. A certain beagle flying a red doghouse cemented that image for me. (Snoopy’s creator, Charles Schulz, made his home here in… Continue Reading →
All too often, government thinks it can answer that question. Each time, the faithful of every religion have to make tough choices. In the US, we take freedom of religion for granted. But given the current political climate, it’s worth… Continue Reading →
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