Ken McAlpine
Ken McAlpine is the author of eight books, a collection of fiction, non-fiction, and essays. His most recent novel, "Juncture," is a cerebral "Jaws"; a suspense-filled thriller, a story of primal love and our changing oceans and, perhaps, a final fork in the road. "West is Eden: Reflections on this Gift Called Life," is a collection of his KCET essays. He lives in Ventura.
We all know what happened to New England cod and, before that, the great whales. The oceans are not what they used to be.
On March 5, I will raise my glass to Channel Islands National Park and my friend James, who have both reminded me of a simple but infinitely valuable lesson.
I looked down at my son and I lied. "Sometimes things are meant to die and there's nothing you can do."
Mist blew in. I tasted salt on both our lips.
There's a new Walmart in Simi Valley. It's the second Walmart there -- on the same street, miles away. What do all these big boxes in Ventura County mean?
It's the people you never hear of who really make a difference. And the boys from New Jersey and the California surfboard shaper fit that bill.
I do worry about the children. How do they see a bulletproof backpack? What do they think about a playground fenced off on the weekend? What does this look like to someone who still believes in Santa Claus?
There is no place I'd rather be than here in salt-laced, downy-soft nightfall. There aren't words for this sort of happiness. It is like falling in love. Huell understood.
What is right, wrong, innocence, guilt?
As the world marks another year's passing, life, the onrushing gift, might best be unwrapped with a moonlit neighborhood walk.
Did it or didn't it? The end of the world, or a new beginning?
Looking for the perfect Holiday gift? Here it is, courtesy of a Benedictine monk with a marvelous sense of humor.