My writing career began in 1965 when I went to Paris determined to find a job that would permit me to live in France for several years. I found the job--teaching English at the American Dependents' School--but it soon turned out that it would last only one year. In my disappointment, I turned to writing articles on the teaching of English in France. In the 70s and 80s, I published extensively in the field of teaching English as a second language.
When I retired, I turned my attention to literary history and published Realms of Gold: the Colorful Writers of San Francisco 1850-1950. That book led to an opportunity to write articles on San Francisco history for the Nob Hill Gazette. Twenty-six of these have appeared in that newspaper, and I'm still writing them. Other articles and stories have appeared in Coast Magazine, The Californians, and Travelers' Tales.
My next book, A Passport to Hell: the Mystery of Richard Realf, is an unconventional biography of an English poet who became a leader in John Brown's militant anti-slavery movement. My first novel, The Pickle Girl, appeared in January, 2006.
I am fortunate to live at The Sea Ranch on the Sonoma County coast, one of the most beautiful places on earth, where I share my life with my wife, Janet, and where I write and practice my hobbies, playing petanque and turning wood.
