Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

Canada

  • Sundance and the Search for an Alternative Education

    The arrival of autumn brings out the bookish aspect of my nature. The responsibilities for coursework found in freshly printed syllabi, the necessity of meeting a professor’s deadlines, revising lectures, and meeting new students have long passed for me. I… Continue reading

  • Random Thoughts: Gibson, Parkinson’s, Space Mirrors, Skunks, and Words

    Thirty-seven years ago, on 15 October, Kirk Gibson stepped up to home plate in Dodger Stadium in Game 1 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics. He was suffering from a swollen, shredded ligament in his… Continue reading

  • Elbows Up with Chocolate & Beer

    by Carl ten Hoopen Chocolate and beer slip uneasily into essays. They are topics that glide easily to our attention when pushing a cart down the grocery aisle, attending a hockey game, or dining at the Queen & Beaver Public… Continue reading

  • While Canada Burns, Washington Fumes

    This morning, I received a letter from a friend in Canada. He was polite, as he typically is, but I could hear the anger when he asked, “These are Congressmen?” His question was raised in response to a letter six… Continue reading

  • On Libraries and Freedom

    I hesitated in the grip of withdrawals. “Go! Get out!” Lynn Tanaka firmly told me on my final day on Mayne Island. Taking a few reluctant steps towards the door, my eyes locked on the neatly arranged shelves in her… Continue reading

  • THE RULE DIALOGUES

    THE RULE DIALOGUES She was a stranger I encountered in the Miners Bay Book shop on Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada. Over the next three months, she was my Saturday morning breakfast companion at the Sunny Mayne Bakery Café. Each… Continue reading

  • CANADA AND DONALD TRUMP’S UNJUSTIFIED TARIFFS

    “As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago, “geography has made us neighbours, history has made us friends, economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies.” That rang true for many decades prior to President Kennedy’s… Continue reading