A View…

…of somewhere I’ve been coming for a long, long time.

Brushpile

It turns out you can counteract a lot of “I Work on a Computer All Day” angst with nothing more than a pair of branch loppers and an hour on an overgrown hillside trail.

Owl News

Usually we get Great Horned Owls in our garden, slow and mournful and resonant, but last night I heard a newcomer with a call like a rubber ball dropped down a flight of stairs. Listen: It’s a Western Screech Owl! This audio recording is from April 4th, 2020. It was captured 130 miles from here … Continue reading Owl News

FAQ

Did you just learn that I’m moving away from Portland? Do you have burning questions about that news? Don’t worry! I HAVE ANSWERS FOR YOU.

First Plunge

I’m pulling into Santa Barbara, 940 miles of highway behind me, as the sun dips low to the west. On my right: occasional glimpses of the sea, tantalizing and unreal, but ahead there’s only bumper-to-bumper traffic.  I’m racing the clock as I inch through Montecito, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. The sun’s fully … Continue reading First Plunge

Turncoat

“I’m so tempted to just go—not tell anyone, just load everything up and leave.” She narrows her eyes. “Can we unpack that for a minute?” Maybe I protest too much, but it’s not what it looks like! I’m no thief in the night! I’m not trying to desert my friends! We do all our socializing … Continue reading Turncoat

Mind the Gap

This morning I opened Twitter and saw that John le Carré had died. I don’t know how to talk about this. He wasn’t John in our house, but David—his given name. I grew up alongside his grandchildren in California, fellow offspring of English parents who had come to LA to work in film and stayed … Continue reading Mind the Gap

Night Owl

Perhaps that was what I came looking for in the dark. Not the owl, but the reassurance that slipping out would still grant entry to this surreal and weightless darkness.

Ojai: Talk of the Town

I caught up with my friend Bret Bradigan on his Ojai-centric podcast to talk about what I’m working on these days.

Time Travel

This morning I woke up in my childhood bedroom and now I can’t stop thinking about time travel.