The Essay
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Cultivating a Beginner’s Mind
The New Year is an opportunity to “start over.” I have learned through my Zen Buddhist practice that every moment,…
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Taking a Page From the Broccoli Tree
A newly minted journalist finds herself in the story. On the southern shore of Lake Vattern in Sweden, there is…
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The Essay: Why Wyrsch Worries
On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, the sun did not rise in San Francisco. A dim orange glow through smoke and…
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The Essay: No Place Like Home
Welcome to our home! It’s so nice of you to join us for this Zoom dinner party on such short…
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The Eternal Return
Wherever you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re not where you thought you’d be back on January 1, 2020.…
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The Essay: Letters From Herb Caen
Basic Mac skills. Suggested typing speed: 50 wpm. Possibly familiar with email. Those bullet points on the job description weren’t…
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The Essay: The Trouble With Public Space Naming
The next time you’re walking through the City, pause for a minute to consider how many of the local streets…
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The Past and Future of Laurel Hill: Notes From a Neighbor
I have spent most of my life within an eight-block radius of Laurel Hill. I was born in the Children’s…
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How to Prepare for the Next Big Earthquake
My husband and I were walking back to our Lower Nob Hill home one hazy pink evening a few years…
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The Essay: Long Live the Tosca Cafe Spirit
Tosca, as a bar and neighborhood joint, was truly democratic — a place where no reservations were required for folks…
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