Author Archives: janishaag

Merced River, Clifford’s 65th birthday, May 21, 2017 Turgid—that’s the word for it— white petticoats of froth atop olive drab river coursing so fast, so hard, it sounds like ocean turned up full blast, without the ebb and flow. Here … Continue reading →

The ancestors have charged you, dream traveler, to journey again along the flowing river into the ancient forest, to walk the stone circle of life curving toward the center where you must stand tall and be opened, where you must … Continue reading →

Christmas on the same day as Hanukkah is as challenging for my friend the Jewish poet as it is for me. How, she asks, does one freshly tell the ancient story of lamps lit for eight days with one day’s … Continue reading →

Though I am also an English professor, I spend much of my time at Sacramento City College teaching journalism and advising journalism students on campus publications. I helped create the college’s literary journal, Susurrus, in the early ’90s and spent 17 years … Continue reading →

What I want for Christmas: (Check all boxes that apply, even if you’re Jewish, or you stopped believing years ago; use exclamation points for things that warrant them) √ Happiness                √ Hired help   … Continue reading →

I’ve been teaching writing to college students for three decades now, and I well know how the ends of semesters go: lots of last-minute assignments and make-up tests, students coming to my office with pleas for leniency or concerns about … Continue reading →

I am living at the edge of a new leaf. —Arthur Sze, “The Shape of Leaves” The day after Thanksgiving I grabbed a plastic Target bag, its red chevrons dancing as I walked down my street to the best tree on … Continue reading →