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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
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DON'T MISS!

I've written hundreds and hundreds of posts over the years. To help you find your way to the best of the best, I've tagged my favorites "Don't Miss!" Scroll down here to find them.

Another way to locate Riffs on Life that you might enjoy is to click above on your favorite category – "My Ever-Changing Family," perhaps, or "Funny Button." You can also use the search box located way up top to hunt for stories by topic. There's fun reading at "garden," "aging," "kids" and, of course, "Jon."

A Brutal Forced March Across Germany — A ‘Wrestling with God’ Story

July 27, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

brutal forced march across Germany robert-tharratt-barbara-falconer-newhall

Decades after he endured a brutal forced march across Germany, World War II POW Robert Tharratt told his story for my book, “Wrestling with God.”  Read more.

Getting Older: I’m Not ‘Keeping Busy’

July 20, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

older: I'm not 'keeping busy'

I’m getting older and older. I’m not ‘keeping busy.’ I’m busy, which is not the same thing.  Read more.

Widowed: My Husband Is Missing Out — On the Sight of Two Galaxies Dancing in Space

July 13, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

NASA-dual-galaxies

I’ve been widowed three years. My husband has missed out on a lot in that time, including a parade of images from the Webb Space Telescope. Read more.

Widowed: Marriage Mistakes — If I Could Have a Do-Over, Would I?

July 6, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

marriage mistakes widowed a-mans-sock-drawer

Widowed, I think often of my marriage mistakes. Did I leave too many tender words unsaid? Too many small kindnesses undone? Should I have mated his socks for him after I took them out of the dryer?   Read more.

Widowed: We Were Two People — And a Marriage

June 29, 2024 By Barbara Falconer Newhall

jon-barbara-newhall-wedding

Jon and I were two people — and the marriage we’d created over the years.  Read more.

‘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.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

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

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.

MORE "ON THE FUNNY SIDE"

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  • A Case of the Human Condition
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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!

men-at-work-replacing-sewer-line-what-about-boys

What About the Boys? What About the Men?

The back of a hiker's boots, on the trail. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Tending a Friendship — I’m on Her Calendar and She’s on Mine

religion-bookshelf

The Top Religion Stories of 2025 — From Religion News Association

writer's block is addressed insightfully in Jane Anne Staw's book Unstuck

The Writing Room: Writer’s Block and the Toxic Reader

MORE DON'T MISS!

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