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Author: Barbara Falconer Newhall

“Bamboo Secrets” — A Love Story in the Shadow of Japan

Patricia Dove Miller signs copies of her new book, "Bamboo Secrets," at Book Passage, Marin, June 11, 2016. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I thought my writing buddy’s book “Bamboo Secrets” was about a sojourn to Japan in search of her creative identity. It turned out to be a love story. Read more.

Fifteen Patriotic Holiday Gifts for the Worried Progressives on Your List

Patriotic holiday gifts: The American flag is spread at a Warriors basketball game in Oakland, CA. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I’m giving patriotic holiday gifts this year — donations to groups that can help keep our country sane during the stormy Trump years ahead. Read more.

Christmas Is Big. Bigger Than Christianity — And Donald Trump

The Parrocchia church spires in San Miguel de Allende, where Christmas is big. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Christmas is big. Christianity’s biggest holiday is leaving the religion in the dust with 15 times the Internet mentions of Christianity. Read more.

Oakland’s Ghost Ship — A Vigil

Visitors at the scene of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire that killed 36 young people. A few days after the fire, it was cordoned off as a "crime scene." Photo by Barbara Newhall

I keep thinking, if only the makeshift stairways of the Ghost Ship warehouse had been closer to the exits. If only there had been fire escapes . . . . Read more.

One Broken Ankle, and Two Lives Grind to a Halt. Or, Why You Should Definitely Stop and Tie That Loose Shoelace

A 75-year-old man with his broken ankle in a cast in a hospital bed in his den with TV. Photo by Barbara Newhall

I’m doing my wifey thing. My husband has a broken ankle and I’m taking care of him. That means I’m exhausted. And grumpy. Read more.

The Turkeys at Our House, Dead and Alive

Turkeys at our house: live in our back yard. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Every year at this time we have a bunch of turkeys at our house. One comes in a shopping bag; the others arrive on their own two feet. Read more.

I Decided to Stop Bad-Mouthing Donald Trump. But Will I?

Donald Trump victorious on cable TV. I'm going to stop bad-mouthing Donald Trump. Photo by Barbara Newhall

Last Tuesday night I made a decision. I decided to stop bad-mouthing Donald Trump. I would give him a chance. I’d keep an open mind. But could I? Read more.

Kudos for Wrestling with God — The Author Shamelessly Keeps Score

Kudos -- the Clarion Foreword Reviews logo.

Today I shamelessly brag about the kudos that “Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith” has earned: lots of nice reviews and prizes. Read more.

Donald Trump Played Me. Here’s How

The cover of Donald Trump book, "Think Big and Kick Ass."

Donald Trump played me. He got what he wanted from me this election season. And it wasn’t my vote. Read more.

My Ancestral Ghosts — Are They Haunting This Halloween House in Minnesota?

Are my ancestral ghosts haunting this Red Wing house decorated for Halloween. Barbara Falconer Newhall traveled to Red Wing, MN, to look for her 3x great-grandmother's houses. This house, a duplex, built in 1920, stands at the location on Third St. where her ancestor lived. Photos by Barbara Newhall

Could my ancestral ghosts be haunting this Halloween house in Red Wing, Minnesota? I wanted to think so. Read more.

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