My Naïve Melody
“Love me ’til my heart stops. Love me ’til I’m dead.” –David Byrne The day before I saw my doctor for a biennial DMV physical, my thirteen-year-old son announced his intent to go vegan, and a friend of mine from high school died of Covid. There’s a lot to unpack here. First, the 800-lb. gorillaContinue reading “My Naïve Melody”
The axe for the frozen sea…
Kafka said that a book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. Chuck Radke’s stirring, at times heartbreaking memoir, Stuccoville: Life Without a Net, is such an axe. When I finished reading, I was in tears. I wanted to stand up and cheer the author’s unflinching honesty and filial devotion. Weeks later,Continue reading “The axe for the frozen sea…”
The night a beautiful lady soared on the trapeze in Fresno — and came crashing down
from the Fresno Bee, Sept. 8, 2021.by Chuck Radke Few Fresnans alive today will recognize the name Brenda Jones Cuttin. In fact, I may be the only one. I think about Brenda every year about this time, specifically on my birthday, September 8th. I have thought of her every September 8th since 1977, which ifContinue reading “The night a beautiful lady soared on the trapeze in Fresno — and came crashing down”
A Story of Survival, Acceptance, and Grace
A review of Stuccoville: Life Without a Net, by Corrinne Clegg Hales Stuccoville explores the profoundly interdependent relationship between a boy and his mother, whose chronic and increasingly debilitating illness shapes both of their lives. Charles Radke tells this remarkable story without blinders or sentimentality, without flinching from harsh details, or from his own culpability or anyone else’s. A gifted storyteller, he makes excellent use of detail and image, and his gritty descriptions of Fresno’s west sideContinue reading “A Story of Survival, Acceptance, and Grace”
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
About Me
I am a writer and full-time staff member at Fresno State. I run the Dissertation/Thesis Office at the university, and I founded the Fresno State Graduate Writing Studio. My full-length memoir, Stuccoville: Life Without a Net, launched in January, 2021, from E.L. Marker/WiDo Publishing. View more posts
Subscribe to My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
