Author: Malcolm R. Campbell

Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of "Sarabande," "The Sun Singer," "At Sea," "Conjure Woman's Cat," "Eulalie and Washerwoman," "Lena," and "Fate's Arrows."

When a cousin we hardly knew died without a will, the State of Oregon tracked us down

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn family, writing

Mostly, she ignored our side of the family. Old family films and photographs show us playing together during our preschool years.  Afterward, little or nothing.

I’ll refer to her as G.

G probably shopped in this plaza

I never knew where G was or what she was doing. She wanted it this way for reasons I’ll never know. Now the State of Oregon has found my two brothers and me while looking for relatives, notably one who lives in or near Ashland who could handle the estate. Fortunately, an Oregon relative turned up and agreed to handle an estate that consists mainly of household items and a car.

I have no idea what happened to G’s husband.

I feel like a voyeur. I don’t want to know about her now because when G was alive, she didn’t want me to know her then. In a sporadic letter to one of my brothers, she once informed us that our favorite aunt had passed away months before. To me, this kind of slap-dash approach to family was unconscionable.

So, when I did know something, I was usually ticked off.

Now I’m suddenly an heir and that ticks me off, too.  I want to remain just as anonymous as she was.  I don’t want to see an accounting of the personal items in her house or the loose change in the glove compartment of her car.

Or maybe there will be a 1960s letter from my mother in a box in the attic. If so, it will be friendly and chatty, ending with “Why don’t you ever write?”

G never answered that question. If the answer lurks within the confines of G’s estate, I don’t want to hear it now.  Hearing that G died was more than I wanted to know. Is that cold? If so, I’m slow to forgive.

–Malcolm

New Fiction from the author of ‘Special Topics in Calamity Physics’

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn books, writing

Marisha Pessl made quite a splash in 2006 with the release of Special Topics on Calamity Physics, a novel of which Publishers Weekly said, ” Pessl’s stunning debut is an elaborate construction modeled after the syllabus of a college literature course—36 chapters are named after everything from Othello to Paradise Lost to The Big Sleep—that culminates with a final exam. ” I’ve read it multiple times, followed by Neverworld Wake and Night Film.

And now we have Darkly about a game-making empire.

From the Publisher

Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the game designer whose obsessive creations and company, Darkly, have gained a cultlike following. Dia is shocked when she’s chosen for a highly-coveted internship, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Why her? Dia has never won anything in her life.

Darkly, once a game-making empire renowned for its ingenious and utterly terrifying toys and games, now lies dormant after Veda’s mysterious death. The remaining games are priced like rare works of art, with some fetching millions of dollars at auction.

As Dia and her fellow interns delve into the heart of Darkly, they discover hidden symbols, buried clues, and a web of intrigue. Who are these other teens, and what secrets do they keep? Why were any of them really chosen? The answers lie within the twisted labyrinth of Darkly–a chilling and addictive read by Marisha Pessl.

This summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.

From Publishers Weekly

“Fearless and whip-smart Dia, as well as the rest of the intersectionally diverse cast, will have readers cheering them on from page one. Assorted letters, news stories, and other ephemera depicting the events add visual interest throughout.”

–Malcolm R. Campbell

Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of the four-novel Florida Folk Magic Series.

Spoilt Turkey

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Thanksgiving, writing

“USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.” – USDA

As far as I know, the USDA guidelines don’t include the presence of toxic friends or relatives.

I’ve been lucky. Most of my Thanksgiving holidays have been in the good to great range.

However, some people think Groucho Marx was more on target when he said, “I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it.”

(There may be wisdom in the belief there’s a reason we don’t see these people more than once a year.)

We visualize this Norman Rockwell picture as the Thanksgiving we expect (from a 1943 Saturday Evening Post article.) He called the painting “Freedom from Want.” That freedom is among the blessings we celebrate when we gather with friends and relatives around our Thanksgiving tables.

Unfortunately, the turkey may be spoilt before the cook has time to pick up his/her fork (to signify the meal can begin) when one or more people think the feast is a site for open warfare. Today, in our polarized country, the subject is often politics.  This plays out when an arrogant know-it-wall castigates those at the table who don’t share his/her views.  This kind of “chewing out” has no place at the table set for blessings and fellowship. But it happens and often tears families apart.

To what end?

–Malcolm

Haunted by a 1949 auto accident

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn memories, writing

I was born in the San Francisco Bay area where we had countless relatives and lived there until the family moved to Eugene, Oregon. We drove back and forth between the two places in our bulky 1949 Nash similar to the one in the picture.

On one of these trips, we were almost hit by a flatbed truck while passing on a two-lane road in Oregon. My brothers and I were in the backseat, though both of them were too young to remember the near miss that might have proved fatal to the truck driver. At the time, I didn’t understand the potential consequences to the truck driver.  Years later, I searched news reports and accident listings without finding anything about the wreck

Mother honked the horn twice, typical in those days, as we pulled out into the other lane and began passing. We were halfway around the truck when it suddenly began pulling over to pass a smaller car in front of it. I thought the truck was going to hit us, but Mother honked the horn again, the truck driver pulled away, over-correcting so that the truck ran off the right-hand side of the road so sharply that it rolled over multiple times before coming to a stop.

I remember sitting in the hot car for ages on the roadside. Police came and went. My folks talked to them outside the car. I don’t remember if there were witnesses. Probably. Finally, an officer leaned inside and said, “There’s no reason to punish the children by sitting here any longer.” And so we were allowed to leave.

Our house on Alder Street in Eugene before the porch was built.

Afterward, my parents never spoke about the accident in my presence, though I’m sure they called people from elsewhere in the house. At the time, I was too young to understand why the truck rolled or to imagine the consequences to the occupants of the cab in a pre-seatbelt era. So I didn’t ask. The matter was too far outside my realm of understanding. However, the memory of that truck rolling endlessly across a field has never left me.

On Alder Street, I saw my first snowstorm and built a snow fort in the front yard. Life went on without nightmares or answers. We soon moved to Florida as Dad’s university job positions kept changing. We drove to Florida in the Nash. En route, I never liked passing trucks. I still don’t.

I’m still looking for closure.

–Malcolm

Playing British Bulldog After Scout Meetings

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn kids

British Bulldog is a tag-based playground and sporting game, commonly played in schoolyards and on athletic fields in the UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, and related Commonwealth countries, as well as in the U.S. and Ireland. The object of the game is for one player to attempt to intercept other players who are obliged to run from one designated area to another. British Bulldog is characterised by its physicality (i.e. the captor inevitably has to use force to stop a player from crossing) and is often regarded as violent, leading it to be banned from many schools due to injuries to the participants. – Wikipedia

Our Scout troop met on Monday nights at the church. When the meetings let out, we often played this game on the post office lawn until it was time to head home for “I Love Lucy.” Since there were ample opportunities for getting hurt, our parents didn’t know about it. Heck, we had a nuclear war to worry about, so we didn’t sweat the small stuff. As far as I know, we never had any injuries.

And, since our uniforms were green, the grass stains weren’t obvious.

I just read a news story in which a mother was in trouble for letting her 10-year-old walk down the street without an adult. What the hell is that? We walked 30 minutes to school and certainly didn’t need parents following us.

We knew where all the nasty dogs were.

In general, kids were stronger and more self-reliant in those days. Now they’re so coddled, they need a parent to drive them to school 15 minutes down the street.

Box Hockey

Lots of other stuff got banned, taking the fun out of childhood. BB gun  wars, tackle football in the park, trick-or-treating without mommy going with us, bike riding without helmets, box hockey, and firing our shotguns at ducks at nearby lakes; we never killed anyone–and precious few ducks.

Mother hated cleaning ducks when friends stopped by with a handful when my brothers and I weren’t home.

As long as we weren’t picked up by the cops or the paramedics, the parents didn’t need to know!

Today, it’s illegal for a kid to walk to the far end of their house without a security detail–and God help them if they play outside after dark.

What a fine, wimpy mess we’ve all come to.

—Malcolm

2024 Election–a strong mandate against women

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Hating Women, writing
We sold her down the river.

In a strong anti-abortion state, your wife or daughter can be jailed for having a miscarriage. I wonder how any man or woman can vote Republican when it can lead to such consequences. If she becomes pregnant from rape or incest, she will most likely be forced to carry the child to term–a cancer she is not allowed to treat. Men for the most part are responsible for such inhumane laws even though they are in the minority.

That religion or misguided masculinity can lead to these results in a strong mandate against women.

Michelle Obama spoke of the consequences of strong anti-abortion laws for women who have never considered having an abortion:

We will see more doctors hesitating or shying away from providing lifesaving treatments because they are worried about being arrested; more medical students reconsidering even pursuing women’s health at all; more OB-GYN clinics without enough doctors to meet demand, closing their doors, leaving untold numbers of women in communities throughout this country without a place to go for basic gynecological care, which in turn will leave millions of us at risk of undiagnosed medical issues like cervical and uterine cancers. This is real. – Michigan Speech

And yet, this is what we voted for, and there’s nothing but shame in doing so.

–Malcolm

 

Bears Ears Makes History with Release of Proposed Management Plan in Collaboration with Five Tribes

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn conservation, writing

NPCA News Release

This plan marks historic progress, incorporating Tribal collaboration into the care and stewardship of this critical landscape“–Theresa Pierno, NPCA’s President and CEO

The Valley of the Gods region in Bears Ears National Monument. According to the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, the landscape at this national monument is known to contain more than 100,000 sites of cultural and archaeological significance.

WASHINGTON, DC – The Biden administration in collaboration with five Native American Tribes proposed a first-of-its-kind resource management plan for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah that incorporates Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledge.

© Arlene Hochman Waller/Dreamstime

The plan aims to manage the lands and resources of Bears Ears in collaboration with Tribes, to fulfill the vision of President Obama’s proclamation that established the monument and President Biden’s proclamation that restored its boundaries.

The proposed resource management plan will guide resource policies and procedures for the monument’s 1.36 million acres of public lands. It is the result of a multi-year collaboration with the Bears Ears Commission – the Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation – and federal partners at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

NPCA is carefully reviewing the final plan which is expected to shape policies that protect Bears Ears National Monument for years to come and help connect one of America’s most diverse national park landscapes from Glen Canyon to Canyonlands National Park.

Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA):

“Since time immemorial, Bear Ears has been a place of healing and refuge, connecting many Tribal communities to their ancestors across centuries. By placing Tribal collaboration at the forefront, we all benefit along with our national parks and public lands.

“Years of determination and hard work by Tribal Nations, local communities, businesses, and people across the country have led to this moment. This plan marks historic progress, incorporating Tribal collaboration into the care and stewardship of this critical landscape.

“This would not have been possible without the unwavering leadership of the Ute Indian, Ute Mountain Ute, Zuni, and Hopi Tribes and the Navajo Nation. NPCA is proud to have worked alongside the Tribes, whose leadership reinforces the integral role of Traditional Ecological and Indigenous Knowledge in shaping the future of our public lands.”

–Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell is  a long-time member of NPCA.

‘The Wood at Midwinter,’ by Susanna Clarke

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn writing

Not only do the Dodgers win the World Series, but a favorite author has released a new book, and it’s illustrated. The author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell has once again found the perfect story and just the right tone.

From the Publisher

‘A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They’re the same thing really.’

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees-and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods.

One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst-and the path of her life is changed forever.

Featuring gorgeous illustrations truly worthy of the magic of this story and an afterword by Susanna Clarke explaining how she came to write it, this is a mesmerizing, must-have addition to any fantasy reader’s bookshelf.

From the Factor Magazine Review

Illustrator

“Although set in the 19th century, there is something ancient and deep about this story. It feels like a traditional European fairytale, the kind that existed before they became delivery mechanisms for Western morality. In a brilliant bit of design, this tone is reflected in the physical layout of the story. Sawdon’s illustrations remind me of an illuminated manuscript, except in black and white. (If a publisher ever gets around to doing a full-color version of this story, I will be first in line to buy it.) The art is two-dimensional but vivid and strange. One full page illustration almost functions like a jump scare, mirroring a similar moment in the text. Speaking of the text, the font also has a medieval flair to it, particularly with the way the “c” and “t” are connected. The narration font of the woods is scratchy and fractured, making it look almost like you’re staring up at barren tree branches clustered together. ” – Alex Brown

—Malcolm

In Praise of Scouting

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Scouting, writing

Many of the best experiences of my young life–and the wisdom and values that accompanied them–came from Scouting. I am here to talk about that, not the abuse scandals that rocked the organization years later.

Our local Scout troop, sponsored by the Presbyterian Church, was a major force in our family’s lives. My father was a Cub Scout pack leader, and my mother was a Den Mother. Later, my father served as the leader of the Explorer Post. My two brothers and I were Eagle Scouts and received the God in Country Award.

Neater than usual.

We learned leadership skills, the value of civic duty, and–through the merit badge program–practical skills that would serve us throughout our lives. The primary focus was camping in north Florida’s thousands of acres of national and state forests. We went on an average of one camping trip per month. Long before the “Survivor” TV program, we learned how to make fire, build shelters, and create campsite equipment such as tables and cooking racks. Naturally, we learned fire safety!

The work of setting up and maintaining a campsite–usually one for each patrol–occupied a lot of time. We also went on hikes and visited nearby swimming holes. There was always a lot of great conversation (and ghost stories) going on around the fire after dark. Many ghost stories had to do with strange happenings around campsites or on hikes in the scrub oak and saw palmetto world where we were.

I cannot imagine growing up without these experiences, especially how to survive in the forest many miles from home or help.

Malcolm

My Vietnam War novel “At Sea” is free on Kindle today through October 29.

 

Book Giveaway – ‘At Sea,’ a Vietnam War novel by Malcolm R. Campbell

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn books, writing

My Vietnam War novel At Sea will be free on Kindle from October 25 through October 29 in advance of an upcoming price increase.  This giveaway is my thank you to all of you who have supported my work.  The novel is inspired by my service aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CVA-61) off the coast of Vietnam.

Long-time readers of this blog may remember that I was part of a group that campaigned to get the ship donated to a museum that would have been on the Columbia River. Our effort did not succeed; the ship was scrapped and its history (including being the first carrier with an angled deck and services through Operation Desert Storm) was lost.

Synopsis

Even though he wanted to dodge the draft in Canada or Sweden, David Ward joined the Navy during the Vietnam War. He ended up on an aircraft carrier. Unlike the pilots, he couldn’t say he went in harm’s way unless he counted the baggage he carried with him. As it turned out, those back home were more dangerous than enemy fire.

While aboard, he discovers that an aircraft carrier truly is a floating city, though a dangerous one from the flight deck to engineering spaces and especially for the pilots of the A-4, the F-4 Phantom, the A-7 Corsair, and the A-6 Intruder.

–

The cover photo is one of my pictures of the ship.

–Malcolm