LOUD VOICES

Memoir

  • eight years

    When I graduated last year on May 21, I had been attending college for eight years, first at Long Beach City College and then at California State University, Long Beach. I had learned a lot, even for a then-75-year-old. what… Continue reading

    eight years

  • Live Poetry

    “Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in… Continue reading

    Live Poetry

  • Memoir: A Character Profile

    This is a character profile for my UCLA Extension Memoir Class. The assignment was to create a profile of one of the characters from my memoir. The following is based on personal knowledge and the historical record. DEA Agent Ray… Continue reading

    Memoir: A Character Profile

  • What I Learned from my Recent Birthday Weekend

    I recently celebrated my seventy-sixth birthday (76) by heading down and back up the coast to and from San Diego. It was two brief days, but I came home with some wonderful lessons. Often, doing nothing is good for the… Continue reading

    What I Learned from my Recent Birthday Weekend

  • 76

    Sunday, December 8, 2024, the age meter will advance one more year to 76. Yay, I made it. “He who hesitates is a damned fool.” ― Mae West I don’t know why I keep trying to hide the fact that I… Continue reading

    76

  • for babyface

    Happy Birthday Sumire Gant. for babyfaceit’s been too longi don’t rememberthe last timei wrote you aflower songan orchidfull of colorsbloomingfrom my soulto your hearti don’t remember the last timei looked into your eyeswith wordstouching your face(those cheeks)whispering deeplyinto your soula… Continue reading

    for babyface

  • 75, a Lifetime of Experience, and a College Degree: What’s Next?

    Reflecting on my life journey, I have concluded that achieving your dreams is possible at any age. It took me nearly fifty-eight years from my high school graduation in 1966 to graduate from college this past May with a BA… Continue reading

    75, a Lifetime of Experience, and a College Degree: What’s Next?

  • A Few Thoughts About Higher Education at Any Age

    The following essay is an updated version of an earlier one and was recently published on Linkedin. So, a funny thing happened to me on my way to two degrees during an eight-year journey: an A.A. in English and a… Continue reading

    A Few Thoughts About Higher Education at Any Age

  • eight years

    I have been attending college for the past eight years, first at Long Beach City College and now at California State University, Long Beach. I will graduate on May 21 at the age of seventy-five. what is eight years in… Continue reading

  • College

    I look back at the beginning of my continuing educational journey, my first semester at California State University, Long Beach, on August 22, 2022. I’m often asked, “Why are you going to college at your age?” Why not? Better than… Continue reading

    College