CONTRIBUTORS |
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Charlene Anderson received an MA in English Literature from Purdue University and an MA in Research Psychology from San Francisco State University and spent most of her working life at the University of California San Francisco in grant administration. As a child, she always knew she would write, told stories to her friends, and even invented a pen name for herself, Charles Andrè. So, while working on budgets and submitting grant proposals at UCSF, she continued to write and, in 2001 published a novel, Berkeley’s Best Buddhist Bookstore. When Vistas & Byways was launched in 2015, she was pleased to be asked to chair the Editorial Board. She has served in that capacity ever since.
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Contributions to this issue:
V & B Editorial Board Chair, Publicity, Proofreader Author of Focus-In This Issue Fiction: The Energy Locket Poetry: Return to Norwegian Hollow Bay Area Stew: Golden Gate Photo Essay: The Rosicrucian Museum |
Barbara Applegate received a BA at UC Berkeley, with a major in Spanish, and an MS in Education at CSU, East Bay. As an administrator of Early Childhood Education, she developed a program to teach parents in non-English speaking families the value of helping their children retain the home language while learning English. She is the mother of 3 daughters, a traveler and a contemplative. She loves taking writing classes - not only because she learns from them, but because they give her structure for writing.
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Contributions to this issue:
Editorial Board Member, Inside OLLI Reporter Nonfiction: Leaving Home A Childhood Poetry: Slater Butte Fire, 2020 Photo Essay: Presidio Gardens - SF Inside OLLI: Book Review - Night Songs - by Barbara Rose Brooker |
Rufus Browning taught political science and ran the Public Research Institute at San Francisco State University. He co-authored Protest Is Not Enough: The Struggle of Blacks and Hispanics for Equality in Urban Politics (UC Press, 1984) and co-edited and contributed to Racial Politics in American Cities. He has facilitated the Caring Community Study Group at OLLI at SF State since 2008. He sings and composes and loves to hike.
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Contributions to this issue:
Inside OLLI Reporter Inside OLLI: Interview with OLLI Music Instructor John Prescott |
Ed Brownson’s plays have been performed in California, New York and Italy, with many developmental and staged readings along the way. His latest, Tap, Tap Tap, about a woman confronting a horrible past, was selected for production as part of the Playwright Center of San Francisco’s Fall 2021 ‘Best of…’ series. He has studied playwriting at American Conservatory Theatre, Central Works Theater Company, Theater Artists’ Conspiracy and many informal venues. Recently, he has been working on essays and long and short fiction, ‘attending’ numerous pandemic-inspired Zoom classes and groups to help him along the way.
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Contributions to this issue:
Fiction: Beach Bunnies Nonfiction: Stealing Jobs You Can't Do That Bay Area Stew: A Fossil in a Museum Photo Essay and Cover Photo: Philosopher's Way, McLaren Park - SF |
Joe Catalano practiced law for more than 30 years before he retired in 2018. He has since pursued his interests in photography, high performance driving, travel and writing. He enjoyed his first OLLI as SF State courses in the spring semester 2019 and thanks the members of the OLLI at SF State Poetry Writing interest group for their input and support. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Joan.
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Contributions to this issue:
Editorial Board Member, Poetry Editor, Launch Party Selection Committee Poetry: Mirror, Mirror . . . |
Katie Cofer has been a San Francisco resident for over 25 years but before that, lived in Europe and has continued to travel there often. Since international travel was not in the cards in 2020, she decided to travel her own city and soon got into street photography. Discovering hitherto unknown corners on her daily photo walks through San Francisco helped keep her spirits up and was a great counterbalance to her daily work as a psychotherapist. She loves to explore the connection between places and people, to try to capture something of the flavor of a place, the uniqueness of a person, the beauty of our city and our world.
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Heather Saunders Estes's debut poetry book, Inner Sunset, was published by Blue Light Press in 2019. It celebrates the natural and human-made world especially where she lives in San Francisco’s Inner Sunset. Her next book, Cloudbreak, was published by Poetic Matrix Press and concerns her transition from CEO of Planned Parenthood Northern California to writer. Other poems are published in many journals. The OLLI community is important to her writing life. Her first poetry course was with Diane Frank, an OLLI teacher, and she is a member of a poetry group started through OLLI five years ago. Her books are online at the presses and through bookstores. Visit her website (heathersaundersestes.com) to sign up to follow to receive a monthly poem.
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Contributions to this issue:
Poetry: In the Hospital Waiting Room The Book of Hours Inauguration Day Jasmine Tea |
Elsa Fernandez grew up in Asia. She has lived in San Francisco since 1970 and never gets tired of this lovely city. She has travelled the world and still gets excited flying back home and to finally land at SFO. Her family is scattered around the world—India, Australia, Dubai, England, Ireland and Argentina. She is a political junkie and majored in Journalism and Political Science. She loves music and plays the piano quite well (one of her dreams was to own a piano bar in upcountry Maui . . . she would probably call it the Maui Moon!). Writing poetry is an emotional outlet for her.
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Contributions to this issue:
Inside OLLI Reporter Nonfiction: Transitions Poetry: A Singing from Middle Earth Inside OLLI: Book Review: Cloudbreak - by Heather Saunders Estes |
Find your passion and follow it! - Oprah Winfrey
Cathy Fiorello’s passions are food, Paris, and writing. A morning at a farmers’ market is her idea of excitement and visiting Paris is her idea of heaven. And much of her writing is about food and Paris. She worked in publishing in New York, freelanced for magazines during her child-rearing years, then re-entered the work world as an editor. She moved to San Francisco in 2008 and published a memoir, Al Capone Had a Lovely Mother. In 2018, she published a second memoir, Standing at the Edge of the Pool. Cathy has two children and four grandchildren. Her mission is to make foodies and Francophiles of them all. |
Kathy Gilbert received her MFA from San Francisco State University in 2013 after a career in public transport. She received the Marc Linenthal Poetry Award in 2012 from SFSU and won the San Francisco Browning Society Gita Specker Award three times for her dramatic monologues. She was commissioned to write a play for the 2015 San Francisco Olympians Festival. Her one act Delphin and the Children of Amphitrite was performed at the Exit Theater. She also tutors third graders, studies tai chi, practices yoga and swims. Her new book Aprils Three: Poems and Photographs is now available locally at Bird & Beckett, West Portal Books, Green Apple on Clement and on Amazon.
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Matt Ginsburg received an MFA degree in Creative Writing with a concentration in playwriting at San Francisco State University. His work often explores his interest in business, economics, and politics. Matt has written several short stories, monologues, and comedy routines in addition to his focus on playwriting. His plays have been read or performed at numerous theaters in San Francisco. He has had three works published in previous editions of Vistas & Byways: “Finding My Father,” a memoir piece was published in fall 2019, “Midnight in Morocco,” a short story was published in fall 2020, and "Victor's Trophy" that was published in spring 2021.
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Contributions to this issue:
Editorial Board Member, Fiction and Nonfiction Editor Fiction: Johnny Logan's Fight |
Fred Goldman has been an OLLI member for eight years and a member of the Curriculum Committee for six. He has been interested in photography for over 40 years, but his interest accelerated after his retirement, leading him to become an avid digital photographer utilizing robust post-processing computer software. This combination of art and technology has been appealing, considering his long career in the computer software field. Fred has been a member and officer of the Peninsula Camera Club in San Mateo where he has participated in numerous photo competitions. He enjoys traveling and documenting those trips photographically. He looks forward to new travel experiences when the pandemic ends. More of his images are available at https://fredgoldmanphotography.smugmug.com/
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A native of San Francisco, Kathryn Santana Goldman’s interest in poetry began when she was working in ICU as a registered nurse. She used this practice to process the variety of stressful scenarios experienced. Over the years, she has continued to experiment with different types of writing such as short stories and plays. As an avid traveler, Kathryn has become skilled at capturing photographs about the diversity she encounters. Three years ago, she began to combine her love of photography with her writing by using the images she captures as seeds for her poems. She continues to explore new ways to use these two art forms to share her experience with family and friends.
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Mary Heldman is retired from a career in medical school administration, computer programming, and business systems analysis. She grew up in Los Angeles, but lived in Palo Alto, Washington D.C., Cambridge, and Stony Brook, New York before settling in San Francisco in 1974. She tutors at a local high school, studies piano, and designs costume jewelry. From time to time she writes sardonic prose for her friends. Mary wishes she lived with a chocolate lab or a golden retriever, but she doesn’t.
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Contributions to this issue:
Editorial Board Member, Fiction and Nonfiction Editor, Publicity Nonfiction: A Sibling of My Own |
Vivian Imperiale has been writing since she was six. She now writes to process her emotions around homelessness, mental health, connections with the spirit world, and the loss of the Light of her Life to AIDS long ago. Her poems and prose have been published online, in magazines and in books. She has a BA in Psychology and an MA in Special Education.
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Dr. Vera Jacobson was a teacher and administrator for 30 years. She is happily writing short stories, watercoloring, and doing pencil sketching. If she is not at home, you would probably find her sailing on the San Francisco Bay. She lives in Brisbane with her dog, Peter.
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Mike Lambert is a long-time resident of San Francisco and led the effort to start Vistas & Byways in the fall of 2015. In an earlier life, he worked in the telecommunications industry for 35 years and taught at San Franciso State University’s College of Business for 15 years. He refutes the adage about old dogs and new tricks. He took up creative writing as a hobby at age 75. He recently self-published two novels and a collection of his short stories. His main fictional character is Jessica Jones, a single working girl in contemporary San Francisco. See his Author page at Amazon under the name of M. L. Lambert for more details.
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Contributions to this issue:
Web Master, Inside OLLI Reporter Nonfiction: Fate and Acceptance and the Final Transition Inside OLLI: Interview with Nicholas Nguyen Our OLLI Council - What Is It? Photo Essay: A Temple to Water |
Carol Langbort was a Professor of Education in Mathematics for 30+ years at SFSU, teaching teachers how to teach mathematics. She was Chair of the Department of Elementary Education, and for 15 years directed the SF Math Leadership Project, a professional development program for classroom teachers. She developed a master’s degree program in Mathematics Education. She is co-author of several books, including How to Encourage Girls in Math and Science and Building Success in Math. Recently, she was a volunteer for the de Young and Legion of Honor Museums. She is currently on the Board of Nicaragua Children’s Friendship Committee. She has studied Spanish for many years in language schools in Mexico and participates in the OLLI Spanish conversation group.
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Contributions to this issue:
Proofreader |
Marsha Michaels has been a student at OLLI at SF State since 2009. Her first writing class was with Barbara Rose Brooker. Barbara helped Marsha self-publish a memoir called, Pulling At Straws. She also took a class with Dave Casuto, and they developed a website, where many of Marsha’s stories and recipes can be found. Marsha has been published in previous issues of Vistas & Byways. Marsha takes writing classes and other diversified subjects at OLLI at SF State. She finally feels that she’s been educated where she missed out in her youth. Marsha thanks OLLI at SF State for the enormous difference it has made in her life.
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Born and raised in Colorado, Angie Minkin has lived in San Francisco for 40 years. She raised two children in the City and now shares her home in the Excelsior District with her husband and two playful cats. All of these gentle beings keep her grounded and happy. In addition to exploring her voice through poetry, Angie practices yoga, dances, and travels to Mexico whenever possible. Her work has been published in several journals and she is a coauthor of Dreams and Blessings: Six Visionary Poets, published by Blue Light Press in 2020. Angie recently won first prize for a prose poem in the 2020 Keats Soul-Making Literary Competition.
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Contributions to this issue:
Editorial Board Member Poetry: Sheltering Home Sister Stephanie Runs the Chicago Marathon Tango in Havana Inside OLLI: Book Review: Fog and Light; Poems selected by Diane Frank |
MJ Moore lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her various incarnations have included technical writer and editor, grassroots environmental activist, first grade teacher, poet and flash fiction writer, wife, and mother. As a bicoastal being, she thrives on salt air, wind and waves, but also loves mountains, deserts, and forests. Writing, for her, is a source of vision and joy. She has recently published a book of poems, Topography of Dreams (Blue Light Press, 2020).
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Carla Pasion was born in San Francisco. Recently retired from all gainful employment, she now practices writing, gardening, and binge watching, most recently completing a total re-watch of The Sopranos. She has two adult daughters and one long-term husband.
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Mary Noel Pepys is a senior attorney with a specialization in the rule of law, specifically international legal and judicial reform, and corruption within the judiciary. Since 1993 she has helped emerging democracies develop justice systems that ensure the protection of citizens’ human rights, equal treatment of all individuals before the law, and a predictable legal structure with fair, transparent and effective government institutions. Mary Noel has worked in over 45 countries, lived five years in six former communist countries, and 20 months in Afghanistan as the Justice Advisor for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement of the U.S. Department of State. While in Afghanistan, Mary Noel focused on strengthening the criminal justice system and the correctional system.
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After becoming an attorney, Pamela Pitt graduated with an MFA (1990) from the San Francisco Art Institute. She showed her photography work nationally in group and solo shows. Seeking daylight after years in the dark room, she worked on collage with mixed media painting and photography. Ideas from social issues became the basis of certain collage series:
2014: ripped pages from a law book on the “Patriot Act” to use as collage elements. 2016: used tissue dress "Patterns" in a series about the place of women. 2017: produced a collage series based on the concept of making land a commodity. With her current focus on photography and scanner digital art, Pam works on achieving peace through creativity and beauty. |
Robin Roth is a Health Educator, retired after 40 years of teaching at City College of San Francisco. She created the Women's Health Issues course, the HIV Prevention Education Program, wrote Elder Abuse Prevention curriculum, taught Gerontology, Human Sexuality (also at SFSU), Hepatitis ABCs, and other courses in the Health Education and Women's Studies departments. Robin is co-chair of the SF Hepatitis C Task Force, on the Coordinating Committee of End Hep C SF, and the California Hepatitis Alliance. A life-long activist, Robin is currently writing postcards with Reclaim Our Vote in the Interfaith Action Committee of Or Shalom Jewish Community. She is the hands-on grandmother of an active toddler, and practices Qigong, Tai Chi, gardens, and hikes.
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Contributions to this issue:
Poetry: Introverts in Transition - a mirror poem Photo Essay: Bay Area Ridge Trail |
Rodney J. Shapiro was born and raised in South Africa. He worked as a journalist and published several short stories, poetry, and articles. He taught English Literature as a part-time teacher but decided on psychology as a career. He graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, with a PhD in 1965. He immigrated to the USA in 1966. His professional career included faculty positions as Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester, NY, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. His interests have included traveling, amateur photography, a Classics book club, telling jokes, jogging with his dog, reliving his 11th (last) marathon. His primary reverence is inspiration for writing poetry and fiction.
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Pat Skala is a native San Franciscan (only 3 generations) and a graduate of San Francisco State College. (Note the "C". Had she waited a year longer to graduate it would be a "U.") A retired City employee, Pat and her husband live in the house that her grandparents built in 1927. She is a gardener, a quilter and an avid jigsaw puzzle person. Although she would love to be a star on Moth Radio, she limits her storytelling to friends and family. Her stories are true and focus on what she thinks of as "angels:" people who come into our lives ever so briefly, but who give us something we need or point us in a better direction.
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Denize Springer's nonfiction and fiction have appeared in various publications and literary journals including The New York Times, Marin Independent Journal, East Bay Express, Pearl, Estero, Vistas & Byways, Please See Me and Ocean Realm. Her plays and theater adaptations have been presented in distinguished New York and San Francisco venues including the New York Theatre Workshop, the Public Theatre, American Conservatory Theater and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival. Her short story, “The Way We Say Goodbye,” was named a semi-finalist in the 2019 Tillie Olsen Short Story Award.
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Steve Surryhne was an Associate Lecturer in English Literature at San Francisco State University from 1993-2012. He is currently semi-retired and has recently returned to writing poetry. A native of San Francisco, he was a baby-beat in the sixties, knew some of the beat poets and is now a neo-beat. In his alternate career, he worked in Community Mental Health in San Francisco from 1979-2012. He took first place in the Jack Kerouac Poetry contest in 2015 and has published in The Blue Moon Review and Interpretations. He is currently working on a project with a photographer friend on poem-texts and photos.
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A retired physician, Corey Weinstein is a musician, poet, songwriter and clarinet player. He has published two CDs of original music inspired by the Klezmer and Yiddish stage musical traditions and led Umzist, a Klezmer band playing benefits for Jewish elders for more than a decade. He wrote and performed at various venues a singspiel, Erased: Babi Yar, the SS and Me to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the massacre at Babi Yar. He plays clarinet in the Or Shalom Jewish Community choir, with The Jamberries Jazz Band at Shabbat services at Rhoda Goldman Plaza, and with any chamber music group he can find. He lives in the Ingleside of San Francisco with his wife of 37 years, Pat Skala.
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Corinne Wick’s life as a Lesbian Feminist began at SFSU in the exciting 1970’s when she met Sally Gearhart and others like Jane Gurko and Nancy Mcdermid. She graduated from The Speech and Communication Department and began teaching there and in the new program of Women Studies. She has been writing and performing in Mothertongue Feminist Theater Collective since 1976. Now she is retired and taking classes at OLLI. She has 3 brilliant sons and 8 semi-famous grandchildren.
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Vivien Zielin was born in England and graduated in history and social studies at the University of Sussex. She was a history teacher in London, worked for an interior design company in Jerusalem, and was the owner of “The China Ware House Company” in Carnaby Street, specializing in fine English made giftware, dinnerware, and quirky teapots. She has worked for media companies on various projects. She has traveled the world. In 2005 she moved to California and became a citizen in 2012. She discovered OLLI at SF State in 2009 and is the Event Organizer for the annual Creativity Celebration. Eyeballing Big Croc: Chasing Dreams Around the World is her first book and was published in 2018.
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