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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’s Riffs on Life

At the Hallmark Store — Teary-Eyed in the Sympathy Card Section

August 14, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

condolence cards in a Hallmark Store rack. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I keep a stash of greeting cards in my desk — birthday and anniversary cards to send to sisters-in-law, brothers, nephews and nieces as the dates come up. But that’s not what I needed on a recent afternoon. I needed sympathy cards. Two of them. Read more.

Shopping at the Berkeley Potters Guild — Three Artists, Three Visions

August 7, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

By Itsuko Zenitani, two round, fine porcelain ceramic bowls with ceramic lids-\that appear to be straw. At the Berkeley Potters Guild. Photo by BF Newhall

Lots of wonderful stuff to see at the Berkeley Potters Guild the other day. The work of three potters in particular, each with a distinctive vision, caused me to pull out my trusty point-and-shoot and click away. Read more.

 

Sculptor Patricia Bengtson-Jones — Connecting with the Cosmos

July 31, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Patricia Bengtson-Jones in her Berkeley, CA, studio. To the left is a fountain cast from the base marble of "Kento Warrior." Photo by BF Newhall

The mythology of prehistory continues to beckon to sculptor Patricia Bengtson-Jones. The Berkeley, California, artist has been exploring stone, bronze, steel and glass for decades — and a few weeks ago I had a chance to explore her studio. Read more.

Judy Seidel: Click Here for an Eyeful of Her Life-Affirming Paintings

July 24, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

"Diptych," by Berkeley, CA, Painter, Judy Seidel is two jig-sawed pieces of wook painted abstractly with red, green and yellow shapes. Photo by BF Newhall

Some artists seem to be able transfer the way their minds work onto paper or canvas. And of those artists, every once in a while, it’s a mind that you’d like to spend more time with. I’m thinking of abstract painter Judy Seidel. Read more.

Institute of Mosaic Art — A Berkeley Spin on an Ancient Art

July 17, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

"Holy Cow" a mosaic with ceramic tiles and cow & angel figurines by Marcy Schaff, $155, at the Institute of Mosaic Art. Photo by BF Newhall http://BarbaraFalconerNewhall,com

The Institute of Mosaic Art left its creative mark on facades all over Oakland’s Jingletown neighborhood before moving last year to Berkeley. Visitors are welcome to stop by, and on a recent afternoon there was plenty to see: mosaic lemons, mosaic limes, a mosaic bird — and a mosaic bundt cake. Read more.

In Judge Harbin-Forte’s Courtroom — Where Jury Duty Is an Exercise in Mindfulness

July 10, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

David and Ruth Falconer of Scotville, MI, and their 7 childen ca 1935. Photo by Falconer

What does a farm family in Michigan have in common with a courtroom in Hayward, California? A nearly forgotten social skill. Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Linguist Anne Curzan: Grammar That’s Funner Than Ever

says-who-book-cover-curzan

A kindly University of Michigan linguist, Anne Curzan, makes grammar funner than ever with her new guide to usage, “Says Who.”  Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

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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!

detail of pastel mosaic on facade of a building in Jingletown, Oakland, CA, showing body of dog wrapped around corner of building. Photo by BF Newhall

Institute of Mosaic Art — A Berkeley Spin on an Ancient Art

Zodiac-News-Service-Nov-11-12-1972

Widowed: Did My Husband Know I Loved Him?

leonard-cohen-documentary

Widowed: John Donne, Meet Leonard Cohen — And Send Us a Song, Please, From the Mystery Beyond

Jack Shoemaker of Counterpoint Press spoke at the Oct. 5 meeting of Left Coast Writers at Book Passage, Marin. Photo by Barbara Newhall.

Jack Shoemaker of Counterpoint Press Shares Fifty Years of Book Publishing Wisdom

MORE DON'T MISS!

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