Editor: I enjoyed the Journal’s Sept. 24 cover story on “Local Lit.” Humboldt County is home to a number of fine writers who have, per capita, produced troves of fun and important literature. One selection conspicuously absent from the Journal’s list is Greg King’s 2023 book, The Ghost Forest: Racists, Radicals, and Real Estate in […]
books
Posted inMailbox
Thank You
Editor: What a treat to see the stack of “Local Lit” books (Sept. 24, 2026) featured on the NCJ cover last week. Books always make great cover models! But, beyond looks, the photo represents an untapped source of extra reading pleasure for those of us lucky enough to live here. It’s fun to be […]
Posted inBook Review
Fresh Blood
Four horror reads off the beaten path Horror crosses human boundaries in a way other works of fiction struggle with. Humor, for instance, is notoriously difficult to translate, as the comedic power of wordplay doesn’t always work across cultures, and nothing kills a joke more than the expository annotations required to bridge the gap. Horror, […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Are We Dating the Same Romantic Literary Hero?
Admin: Hey, ladies, quick reminder about the group’s rules. Remember, we’re here to help each other navigate a tricky and sometimes dangerous dating landscape, so let’s keep it civil and no screenshots or snitching. Jane Eyre: Where to start? I started nannying for this guy Edward and, I know, never date your boss. Also he’s […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Open-Air Poetry Reading with David Holper
Even money you don’t have enough poetry or fresh air in your life right now. Get both on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m. at 4007 Cedar St. in Eureka, where David Holper will be reading from his new book of poems Language Lessons: A Linguistic Hejira. Bring a lawn chair and settle in for […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Book Drive Promoting Equity and Boosting Local Bookstores
February is a short month so it’s only fair the Eureka branch of the NAACP is extending its Black History Month book drive through March 15. The drive, which aims to put books featuring Black and African-American history, arts, stories and illustrations into the hands of local K-12 students is a double-duty donation opportunity, asking […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Pull Up for Library Curbside
Rejoice, bookworms. While we still can’t traipse through the stacks during this stage of shelter in place, libraries throughout the county are offering curbside service. All you need to do is call or go online to place a hold on your books, then head to the library and call the number on the sign outside […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Help for Bookworms
Four weeks into sheltering in place, some of you have burned through all the books within reach and are starting to eye the junk mail for entertainment. Before you dive into that sweepstakes letter, review a few more interesting options, including your local library and bookstores. Let’s start with the Humboldt County Library. Even if you’ve […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
HumBug: Damsels vs. Dragons
At a party I was recently asked the difference between damselflies and dragonflies. Although close relatives (order odonata) that live very similar lives, there are some differences. Both groups spend the majority of their lives as aquatic larvae breathing water. They are all hunters but with varying specialties. Some hide in the detritus in the […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Outside Angle
If you’ve been wondering how that book of photographs of Humboldt County by Curran Hatleberg turned out, it’s now available from TBW Books. You might remember Hatleberg, who has an MFA from Yale University, first came to our county to do some trimming (hey, Yale costs) and later taught photography at College of the Redwoods, […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
What to Read on Holocaust Memorial Day
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, an opportunity for citizens of the world to stop and reflect on what the National Holocaust Museum describes as “the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.” It’s a time to remember the devastating consequences of allowing xenophobia, scapegoating, religious, […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Look, an LFL!
That’s a “Little Free Library” to the uninitiated. And, according to our very own master of the field notes, Journal contributor Barry Evans, there’s a new one in town. Evans and his wife, Louisa Rogers, are in fact responsible for the thing, which resides on the Snug Alley backside of the Redwood Curtain Theatre. But […]