The Canyon: Part Five

The Canyon: Part Five

By the next spring I had to agree—the house was too small. Just before we left, I bought Christopher Isherwood’s latest book, Kathleen and Frank, a collection of his parent’s diaries and letters. I took the book in a plastic bag outside with me each time I worked in...
The Canyon: Part Four

The Canyon: Part Four

Featured Image at top: Mom and Dad at Lake Geneva College Camp – 1950s In August, my parents arrived for a visit from the Midwest. The canyon was in full bloom, flowers on every vine. Our front garden was a painter’s pallet of colors and butterflies. Even weekdays now...
The Canyon: Part Three

The Canyon: Part Three

In early June, when our ancient clothes dryer died, I restrung the aged clothesline poles and hung out the laundry. Hiding behind a sheet and then jumping out was a given for the girls. Whichever daughter was taken by surprise, she would scream with pleasure at the...
The Canyon: Part Two

The Canyon: Part Two

As the spring days moved into early summer, we made our way past the seven houses to the end of our block, down the steps that led to a tunnel under Pacific Coast highway, and out on to the beach. The girls loved to shout in the underpass and hear their voices bounce...
The Canyon:  Part One of a Five-Part Memoir

The Canyon: Part One of a Five-Part Memoir

“And some famous old queer lives up there.” “Really.” I squinted into the sunlight where the rental agent pointed and could see the edge of a patio to the right on the hill above us. We were standing in what he called the backyard—a long slab of concrete behind the...
The New Canaries?

The New Canaries?

I couldn’t stop thinking about a short notice I read in my local newspaper and wanted to share this in a post. “Runaway youth in Washington State will now have the option to defer shelters and host homes from contacting their parents if they leave home to seek gender...