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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

  • A CASE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
  • MY EVER-CHANGING FAMILY
  • WRITING & READING
  • MY ROCKY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
  • WIDOWED
  • FUNNY BUTTON

Barbara Falconer Newhall

‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ — Fun Words, Now Playing in Berkeley

June 22, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

the-lifespan-of-a-fact

Good natured but dead serious, “The Lifespan of a Fact,” raises questions that writers of nonfiction are constantly asking themselves.  Read more.

That Old Tub-Shower Has Got to Go

June 15, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

tile-choices-for-bath-renovation

That old tub-shower has got to go. A stall shower will be much safer. No quartz for me, though. I’m going for colorful tile and a 1950s vibe.  Read more.

Widowed: Are Tears Recyclable?

June 8, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

widowed are tears recyclable  budapest-market

A tear-drenched tissue — do I put it in the trash? Or into the recycle bin? I wondered, I’m widowed: are my tears recyclable?  Read more.

Writing Retreat Report — I Got Some Work Done. Thanks for Holding Me Accountable

June 1, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Oakland-Tribune-column-Barbara-Falconer-Newhall

On my retreat I discovered that those columns I wrote as a young mom back in the 20th century have a lot to say to the 21st century.  Read more.

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and Me

May 25, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and me.

Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, Jon and me — contemplating the perils and pleasures of office romance in the era of #metoo.  Read more.

Kids Who Cheat. And Those Who Don’t

May 18, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Peter Newhall makes the catch during Piedmont, CA, rec department baseball game. Photo 1991 by BF Newhall

Kids who cheat and those who don’t: My husband was disturbed by what he saw — some kids playing touch football at the park, cheating.  Read more.

The Night I Forgot to Make Dinner — A Rerun From the Archives

May 11, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

I forgot to make dinner

I planned a nice candlelit evening for my husband for that night, just as I’d dreamed of doing as a girl. Except I forgot to make the dinner.  Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Tulips and Sex — Writing as If Everyone I Know Were Dead

looking at pink tulips just opening from the underside at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA. Photo by BF Newhall

I want to write about tulips today. I don’t want to write about sex. The trouble is, for me, writing about tulips means writing about sex: something about their juicy curves brings erotic metaphors to my particular mind. I had thought that once my mother — and father — were no longer alive and reading over my shoulder, I’d be able to write my heart out, but . . . Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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TO MY READERS

Please feel free to share links to my posts with one and all and to quote briefly from them in your own writing, remembering, of course, to attribute the quote to me and to provide a link back to this site.

My Oakland Tribune columns, btw, are reprinted by permission of the Trib. With the exception of review copies of books, I do not accept ads or freebies of any kind. Click on the "Contact" button if you have questions. Enjoy!

 

DON’T MISS!

A page from the Bleichrode prayer book published in Berlin, 1923, showing the first lines of the Mourner's Kaddish in Hebrew script. Photos by BF Newhall

An Episcopalian Says Kaddish for Her Jewish Aunt

marriage proposal

A Marriage Proposal — The Man Said Yes

connecticut-blue-stone-patio

Our New Patio — We’ve Added a Another Room to Our House. Sheltering at Home Week 33

Iceland poppy blooms in an Oakland, CA, garden. Photo by BF Newhall

Photo Op: It’s Blooming Springtime on Our Hill — In March

MORE DON'T MISS!

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