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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

A Case of the Human Condition

I’m Barbara Falconer Newhall and I’ve got an incurable Case of the Human Condition. And since you do too, I’m counting on you to laugh and cry along with me as I riff on life as we know it . . . Below you'll read about my creaky, old fifties house, my forays into home gardening, my shopping stories, my spectacularly low-fashion wardrobe -- and more.

Gun Safety — I’m Giving Up on the Cause. Here’s Why

October 14, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Slashing government regulations. A crime? The scene of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed 36 cordoned off as a "crime scene." Photo by Barbara Newhall

I give up. I’m not going to get on my soap box and plead for better gun safety laws any more. It’s up to gun advocates to get that job done..Read more.

I Was a Culturally Deprived Kid: My Teachers Never Told Me About the Ojibwe Poet Jane Johnston Schoolcraft

September 14, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

[caption id="attachment_14910" align="aligncenter" width="500"]Culturally deprived because though I loved this Michigan woodland, I was never introduced as a child to the poetry of Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, who celebrated Michigan's nature. Photo by Barbara Newhall We shared a love of the Michigan woods — pine, oak and birch. Photo by Barbara Newhall[/caption]

This Ojibwe poet would have been dear to my girlish Michigan heart. Why didn’t my Detroit schoolteachers ever mention her? Was I culturally deprived? Read more.

A Totality Disappointment in St. Joseph, Missouri

August 24, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A totality disappointment: An eclipse chaser lies on the ground for a better view of the total eclipse August, 2017, St. Joseph, MO. Photo by Barbara Newhall

We traveled 1700 miles to see the eclipse. The moon came between us and the sun, as promised. But so did a big fat cloud. A totality disappointment. Read more.

The Writing Room: Am I Stuck? Or Am I Just Taking a Little Housekeeping Break?

August 17, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Am I stuck as a writer? I'd rather watch this asphalt crew at work filling in gutter in front of my house. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Sitting at a blank laptop screen awaiting writerly inspiration isn’t that much fun nowadays. I’d rather watch the guys laying asphalt in front of our house. Am I stuck? Read more.

With a Little Luck You’ll Live Long Enough to Breed Flies in Your Attic

August 10, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Dead flies caught on sticky fly paper. They didn't live long. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Back in 1987 old age seemed a long ways away. It still does.  Read more.

Spike Heels — Feminist? Feminine? Or Both?

August 3, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Girls wear pink, but grown women like this one opt for daring spike heels. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Let’s face it. Spike heels aren’t much good for doing what real women do – drive an SUV, wash down the deck. Same goes for long fingernails. What gives? Read more.

A Case of the Human Condition: When Your Six-Year-Old Wants to Talk Money

July 27, 2017 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

A six-year-old talks money. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Our 6-year-old wanted an allowance. Jon and I debated: 50 cents a week? 75? “Let’s not talk in cents,” said Peter. “Let’s talk in dollars.” Read more.

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LET’S CONNECT

ON THE FUNNY SIDE

A Dream About Wrestling With — Uh, Who Was That Anyway?

A dream about wrestling. Detail of a column in the Wurzburg Cathedral, shaped in a knot. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I had a dream about wrestling the other night. Was it a message from my deep psyche — or the heights of heaven? Read more.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

CATEGORIES

  • A Case of the Human Condition
  • My Ever-Changing Family
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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!

 

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