tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291947422012-01-24T06:59:36.080-08:00A LITERARY JOURNAL WITH AN EDGEThe Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.comBlogger2611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-69268391638017432992009-04-08T13:02:00.001-07:002009-04-08T13:19:26.484-07:00

As the economy falters and print goes out of fashion, we're putting our energy into publishing online. A new venture for old dogs, who grew up with ink in their blood.We haven't given up on print, which many of our readers love, but we're being pushed to go digital. So we shall.Please click on the link below to view our emerging online presence:The Rogue VoiceMeanwhile, we will continue to build

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-85685332459534661452008-05-01T23:00:00.000-07:002008-07-29T18:08:05.580-07:00

Purim explained to dad that he’d rather be captured and tortured by Egyptians than have me in his Hebrew class.During this chanting, dad hunched down like a man about to be sent to the guillotine, while mother, the real spiritual Jew in the family, coaxed him to get up there and recite his important Jewish prayers.A confessional, spring 1953By Dell FranklinSince I’d been around 5 or 6, my parents

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-63680838937510268592008-05-01T22:00:00.002-07:002008-07-29T18:33:02.762-07:00

Poor old Kmart. Once the country’s feature mart, it was now stuck over here on the alleyways, sharing the gravel with strip joints.I decide the worst thing I can do is to sit still. I decide to take action. Gambling that my one asset was that I outweighed Drew by fifty pounds, I step out of the vehicle.Photo Illustration by Stacey WardeHouma’s big tumorThe missing ingredient to a Friday nightPart

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He was a darling of the front office and the fans, a man who in Detroit could do no wrong.HALL OF FAME Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers was considered the greatest second baseman of all time.BASEBALL MEMORIESStories of the early days of Major League Baseball by Murray Franklin as told to Dell Franklin.Next to Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers was considered the

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-23736077983646539342008-05-01T22:00:00.000-07:002008-07-29T18:16:40.178-07:00

Photo illustration by Stacey WardeNow clouded by the ever-present threat of whisky and red fists, the memory gleamed through abruptly with the sound of the trains.The bottle almost seemed to grin horribly at her with animal’s teeth covered in a fresh film of blood bubbling up from pulsating, infected gums, cat-whiskers gleaming with drops of molten fire, wet with the stench of terrible magic.by

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San Luis Obispo County’s Probation Department recently began billing indigent individuals.County officials ‘are supposed to provide free defense to the indigent,’ said Bill Hassler, attorney of the day at the Office of the State Public Defender.By Karen VelieUncoveredSLO.comCounty administrators have pulled the plug on easy, free legal counsel for the indigent.In a move resulting in considerable

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‘I’ve been sick all winter. First, it was a cold, and then the flu, and then I got a yeast infection, and it wouldn’t go away…and I hate to be sick, I’m NEVER EVER sick, but I’ve been sick all year….’It’s very late, after 2 in the morning, and I picked them all up at the pickup mill on the main drag of San Luis Obispo, and all I want to do is get rid of them and go home.The girl who talked too

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-50112245214092401102008-05-01T17:00:00.001-07:002008-07-29T19:07:28.870-07:00

He doesn’t actually look like Brad Pitt, but he does look like a movie star. A little too much like a movie star, which adds to the allure. Like he was created, chiseled, and sculpted at a Hollywood studio.‘That’s her environment, that’s her life. Upper-crust town, good looks, private high school, private college, marry some big-bucks hambone, pump out some kids…’By Matthew PowersI gaze upward at

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-13336613858949669102008-05-01T17:00:00.000-07:002008-07-29T18:56:16.924-07:00

War is a form of corporate welfare cloaked in patriotic language. One need only follow the money to understand what it is really about.Illustration by Donald ArcherBy Charles SullivanNeoconservatives derive much of their political strength from the portrayal of big government as the enemy of the people — a belief that plays only too well in America. Big government is indeed the enemy of the

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-32262743165388781342008-05-01T15:00:00.000-07:002008-07-29T19:12:13.696-07:00

Democrats need to find their mojo, brutally enforce some unity and take some political risks.This moment of beautiful intoxication, after the Democrats regained control of the House in the November 2006 election, lulled the populace before a December hangover came on like a jackhammer at dawn. By Max TalleyIn November 2006, there was a brief glimmer of optimism in America. After six years of

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-27937070704772557212008-05-01T14:00:00.000-07:002008-07-29T19:43:07.598-07:00

The Good NewsAmerica went to warwith Viet-nomto prevent the spreadof Communismyou see if we let themtake overthen those commieswould take over another countryand before you knew itall the countrieswould be Communistand they’d tryto make us Communistbut despite 58,000 of us dyingand millions of them dyingand all those bombs, and Agent Orangeand napalmwe couldn’t stop the commiesand we leftbut

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-8371634330327631842008-05-01T12:01:00.000-07:002008-07-29T19:51:37.524-07:00

Tough times for HagabeeDear Rogue Readers:To the many fans of my writing, you may have wondered why I’ve been on hiatus. Well look around, people. There’s a real estate crisis in our country! And as usual, whenever the market takes a plunge, the people that get hit the hardest are the ones that can least afford it — realtors and land developers like myself, and their families. Sometimes, we have

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Tough times for HagabeeDear Rogue Readers:To the many fans of my writing, you may have wondered why I’ve been on hiatus. Well look around, people. There’s a real estate crisis in our country! And as usual, whenever the market takes a plunge, the people that get hit the hardest are the ones that can least afford it — realtors and land developers like myself, and their families. Sometimes, we have

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-74729220352026074982008-04-01T23:00:00.000-07:002008-04-07T15:56:20.979-07:00

We’re fencing ourselves off from one another everywhere, in gated communities, building up barriers. It’s a fear that pervades the country.To me, art is a life-and-death matter.Rogue of the monthDonald Archer Artist, provocateur, philosopherBy Dell FranklinThe first thing you notice about Donald Archer, a small, white-haired man in his early 60s, are incandescent eyes set in the high, intelligent

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-37557363860553219342008-04-01T22:00:00.000-07:002008-04-07T13:45:54.361-07:00

When you were on the outs, didn’t you ever want to be a rogue, a rebel, break the rules, like steal something from work?Being in here aint no different than being free. Everyone in the world is hustling and when you doing wrong, you already know the consequences.Another day, another hustleBy Tito David Valdez Jr.California Mens’ Colony, Medium Security, 1999I started off my day, just like any

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-59321457137365738242008-04-01T21:00:00.000-07:002008-04-07T14:57:58.526-07:00

The evening sunlight was thin and the air cool as my father slammed the rear door of the station wagon. I gripped the couch pillows underneath my legs and squeezed them the way I had seen my father squeeze his hand springs. Photo courtesy of Stacey WardeLEFT BEHIND He was packing. I wanted to go with him. I wanted to spend a weekend, as he had, hunting rabbits and sleeping outdoors. Photo: Author

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The birds in these towns sing with more conviction than birds in neighboring towns. I pull away from the curb and into the gloom of downtown Jeanerette. I feel like I am going off to war.Sugar Towns (episode 31) By Ben Leroux In the summer of 2003, I discarded all I owned and loaded a troubled 1975 Plymouth with clothes, books, a guitar, a cat named Reggie, and $17.94 worth of window-cleaning

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When I spotted kids wearing Army surplus field jackets patched with peace symbols and North Vietnam flags, I left my own well-worn Army issued field jacket in my beat up car.At Golden Gate Park, hippies languished everywhere, and dogs chased balls—the only sign of energy and ambition.By Dell FranklinComing up from L.A., my first stop was San Francisco. I’d read and heard about the hippie culture,

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-300917058522508622008-04-01T18:00:00.000-07:002008-08-06T18:52:34.756-07:00

We slept in the van, drank cheap beer, and generally rode this out for a month or so until one morning I woke to find the water in my dog’s bowl had frozen over.He wore corduroy Ocean Pacific shorts every day and always left the top button open, suggesting easy access to his treasure below.By Hannah DayInitially, my wanderlust took me from sunny Southern California to the majestic forests and hip

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‘Dey’s a war goin’ on … dass why dey’s bein’ so hard on you…’Basically, my financial I.Q. registers somewhere in the category of idiotBy Stacey Warde I’ve run into trouble before but nothing like the trouble I’ve run into with the I.R.S., the government agency whose duty it is to collect our taxes.They’re coming after me pretty hard. I owe lots of money, half of which is accrued penalties and

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-76314593638443728702008-04-01T16:00:00.000-07:002008-04-07T15:08:43.412-07:00

The bar was in an uproar as I played my only card. Even the barmaid tried to calm me down by buying me a drink.Rocco and I would not let the French Navy buy one drink. We bought them shots of vodka and gave Russian toasts as we downed them.The French NavyBy Talmadge JarratteeOn a foggy weeknight, after stumbling all over the city by foot and taxi, aimless and deliciously drunk, Rocco and I ended

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-57177644129178328032008-04-01T15:00:00.000-07:002008-04-07T15:12:33.331-07:00

You were greatAt the slaughterThe way you shotThe women and childrenAnd torched their straw hutsThat was awesomeAnd you were greatIn the courtroomGetting all those familiesIn their hovels and shacksTo have to moveSo the developersCould take overAnd you where greatGetting all thoseEmployees toHold on toTheir company stockWhen all alongYou were going to bankrupt itThat was geniusAnd you where

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-62114727225341075902008-04-01T14:00:00.002-07:002008-04-07T15:30:32.998-07:00

Ben’s a warriorDear Rogue Voice:Ben Leroux’s piece in the January 2008 Rogue Voice, “Johnston Street,” was a knockout. Sorry I’m so late in commenting on it.He is warrior, the free man risking his life, escaping from the horrors of civilization, fending off the screeching traffic with his mighty weapons: his extension poles. His writing is vivid and clear, providing a unique glimpse of people and

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-7957048369587479722008-04-01T12:30:00.000-07:002008-04-07T15:43:31.234-07:00

The real danger of fascism is its creep factor.Fascism’s creepyBy Stacey WardeFor nearly eight years, I’ve tried without success to describe the radical shift that has taken place in our government.Each time I’ve approached the task, I’ve had to throw up my hands in frustration because the only model that makes sense to me is the one called fascism.But that word doesn’t go over too well in polite

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-61989228317321471252008-03-01T23:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T09:29:30.184-07:00

Hoisting bullwhip and handcuffs, the bayou dominatrix smirks derision at me as I go to work. I go back to the windows, noting there’s a sale on edible condoms, including all-new flavors boysenberry and crème de menthe.Window Washing Across AmericaBye-bye honkiesEpisode 30 By Ben LerouxIn the summer of 2003, I discarded all I owned and loaded a troubled 1975 Plymouth with clothes, books, a guitar,

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-11686564349718687342008-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T09:32:27.542-07:00

He looked mean, had this scowl, and he was tall and rangy and rawboned, looked like a buzzard on that mound.He had that aura, a big vulture, and he awed you.The Big LeftyBy Murray Franklin as told to Dell Franklin It was common knowledge Lefty Grove was the meanest man in baseball, and there were a lot of mean bastards around who’d cut your throat for any kind of edge. Grove’s own teammates

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-5634351494334299072008-03-01T21:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T09:34:07.175-07:00

‘I ain’t a racist. But my personal beliefs don’t matter. The bottom line is that I can’t cell up with another race. My people will discipline me, put me in the infirmary.’In California, institutional racism has led inmates of different races to not get along and fight each other over territory or matters of disrespect. It seems almost impossible to change how things have been running for

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-75467320710388395152008-03-01T20:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T11:15:06.067-07:00

Editor’s note: Each week we receive emails from a friend of Dell’s whose views on Iraq and the military lean so much to the right we usually just hit the delete button. But Ray forwarded the following “Open Letter” by Marine Corps Captain Richard Lund, responding to Code Pink’s protests against campus recruiting at U.C. Berkeley, and we decided to reprint Capt. Lund’s compelling challenge. The

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-13082805839862184802008-03-01T18:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T09:38:26.581-07:00

She throws her hair back over her almost bare shoulders and smiles, and smiles, and smiles.…I smile back and say what they’ve trained me to say: ‘How are you today?’It’s a whole cascading sea of flesh overexposed to the universe — mad and frantic, desperate for freedom, for coupons that double, for organic pickles and tampons on sale.Photos by Stacey WardeBy Larry NarronThe minute I sign in on

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-52344086819607502172008-03-01T17:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T09:41:09.299-07:00

Harold pops prenatal vitamins, speeding up Highway 101. Ninety-five. One-hundred. Hundred-and-five. Six dozen red roses sit beside him on the seat.He strips butt naked and sneaks outside to fire up the tractor, using a chain to drag off the limbs, piling them in an empty pasture.By Sherry ShahanIt’s 4 a.m.Only Harold and the mice are active. He’s nude, leaning into the digital camera. Soon he’ll

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‘But of course, he has his deals. He’s duty bound to his customers. Fifteen minutes could mean fifty-thousand dollars. Does he want me to have him sacrifice fifty-thousand dollars?’By Dell FranklinWe were sitting in a quaint cafe in Big Sur—eaves-dropping on a mother/daughter conversation taking place a table over. The mother looked to be in her 70s, petite, well-preserved, with a silver

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In Election 2000, John McCain talked directly to the people, not to special interests, party hacks and moneyed contributors. It was enough that he was un-scripted and unpredictable……Flash-forward to 2008 and McCain seems to have aged into an angry ghost from a Dickens novel.My brief flirtation with John McCainBy Max TalleyIn our speeded-up, information-overloaded 21st Century, names as recent as

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‘These drinks are on the biggest shit-head and worst president in the history of the country!’I’m not wasting George Bush’s money on those who do not support my magazine. Even a drunk has his pride and standards.By Dell FranklinBeing the owner and publisher of a literary journal, I know exactly what to do with the $300 George Bush intends to send me to stimulate the economy: I’m going straight to

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At that moment, at the train stationShe wore a skirt for the occasion,but I thought of the elderly, eruditeChinese man I had spoken to on thetrip South, as we dozed off and on.The train stopped I don’t know whereto discharge an unmanageable drunk.Was I touching your thigh then, orlistening to the nice man snore?We had a German librarian's ceramicflask from which we sipped warm vodkaas the train

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-35813806572656629442008-03-01T13:00:00.000-08:002008-03-09T10:03:38.560-07:00

Disturbed by DuaneDear Rogues:I read this article [Duane Hagabee’s “People can be SLO rude,” February 2008] with great interest, especially since I have worked with the homeless here in SLO. I was disturbed by two pieces of information presented in the article.1. Homelessness. There is a basic ignorance among average Americans about the causes of homelessness. We should be aware that a very high

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-49573477579339614972008-03-01T12:01:00.000-08:002008-03-08T20:35:44.624-08:00

It’s an accursed life. Why anyone would choose to be a writer is beyond me.ART ON PAGEBy Stacey WardeYears ago, as a student trying to decide whether to go into ministry or become a writer someone told me, “Don’t become a writer unless you absolutely can’t do anything else.”I had the green light from Pastor Hollywood to enter seminary through the church’s sponsorship where I could work as his

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Back in the day, If you were seen being walked to school or dropped off by your mother, well, you were a “momma’s boy.” Life was miserable.Photo illustration by Stacey WardePussies RuleBy Dell FranklinWherever you look these days, especially in the suburbs, you see children wearing crash helmets. Some even wear them while walking around. I can’t imagine wandering the streets of Compton,

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In SLO we are a casual people that scoff at formalities such as using turn signals. Imagine how I felt when the bum, who was quite fat actually, not only refused my fries but knocked them aside with his grubbies. By Duane Hagabee In SLO we have a good attitude about life. We wear an outward expression of gratitude for our rolling green hills, unique downtown, excellent restaurants, and

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-41436989779269898652008-02-01T20:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T21:51:53.152-08:00

I had to make a sober effort. So, I shouldered my way through the pedestrian horde, searching for that silly bird.‘Frank Costello, the Mafia boss, got hisself shot in the lobby of his hotel last night. My buddy, Carl, the doorman over there ... he seen the whole thing!’Photo courtesy of Bert SilvaAn illustrator’s memories of gags and gangstersWho wants to be a gardener or a taxi driver? Who wants

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-27781770019732371402008-02-01T19:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T21:52:51.095-08:00

It has always been my contention that once you’ve walked into the wrong dive, you keep walking all the way to a barstool, careful not to make any sudden movements for they excite bikers and rednecks like rabbits excite hounds. In her eyes is the alluring self-assurance that belongs to society’s flawless. They are eyes that are used to looking over the shoulder and seeing happy men. Bayou

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-44211672606032417492008-02-01T18:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T16:59:54.764-08:00

‘The revolution, it’s in the café cars, on every train across the country. The old men, listen to them. They talk about overthrowing the government.’Dennis Kucinich dares imagine a world without war, where people actually intend good, rather than ill. He puts civility back into public discourse. But in America he’s a pariah.The American Revolution starts hereBy Stacey WardeI hate traveling the

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-71647207490603748962008-02-01T17:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T21:57:14.094-08:00

We hoisted football-sized boul-ders on our shoulders, and on the run, shot-putted them at the cabin for direct hits that exploded like sonic booms on the aluminum roof. Dad would whisper in my ear, ‘The guy’s been a pet all his life. Your mother always defends him, because he’s married to her sister, but the man’s worthless as tits on a bull.’Photo courtesy of Dell FranklinA confessional from the

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-46963084867394527712008-02-01T16:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T17:02:59.044-08:00

Why the Washington, D.C. political establishment is pushing Hillary Clinton so hard in the face of her many negatives is a mystery. Unless they’ve decided that they’re so good at losing, so used to defeat that why not just embrace it?How Hillary Clinton could bludgeon her way through the primary and lose the general electionBy Max TalleyIn the heady hours after the Iowa results, when outsiders

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-25002282935814926972008-02-01T15:00:00.000-08:002008-02-17T18:47:08.742-08:00

WHEN I THINK OF YOU, BUKOWSKIWhen I think of you, Bukowski,I realize I have no guts.I'm still trying to be an academic.Bukowski, I can't quote from Byron.I don't really want an M.F.A.Bukowski, I've triedto convince the scholarsof your godhood.My professors all think I'm crazy,but isn't that a good thing?Bukowski, you never saidthe Sinner's prayer,but you have eternal life.I eat your flesh,I drink

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-27303089873002744612008-02-01T14:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T17:07:42.887-08:00

BOX:A Rogue is a Rogue is a RogueYou tell me stories no one else would dare to share.Stories that make me realize life is a bunch of stuff waiting forme to figure outwhat means the most?Your different angles flow into my world each month and makethings more complete.Most of your stories are rattling leaving me free to think themover philosophically.Rogue Voice I’m glad you’re here; unhomogenized,

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-62707113708547720532008-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:002008-02-17T18:58:41.858-08:00

By Stacey WardeAs Election 2008 heats up, we find ourselves less tolerant of the Old Guard and eager for the change we keep hearing so much about.And as much as Hillary tries to make Obama appear like a country bumpkin with no experience or connections, you have to remember she voted for the war in Iraq, while Obama’s the only candidate in this election who openly opposed the war, which was a

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-32085279241503916462008-01-01T23:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T16:18:34.016-08:00

Popeye didn’t accept change of any kind. You kept things consistent and did it his way or there was hell to pay.Several times Popeye slipped in through the front door of the bar and leaped onto the cigarette machine to keep an eye on me. He knew my binges, didn’t approve of my over-imbibing.Popeye’s realmYou only get one cat like him, if you’re luckyBy Dell Franklin By Dell FranklinI moved to

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-46579723750848025082008-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:21:37.198-08:00

Without warning I’d been sucker-punched by a hot, ghostly dread. Now here it was again, for no apparent reason, following me like a bruised cloud.Johnston Street is psychosis on asphalt. There are no crosswalks and the rare crossing light or two are contemptuous with their short, daring intervals between WALK and DON’T WALK.Johnston StreetEpisode 28 By Ben LerouxIn the summer of 2003, I discarded

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-10309155979658389742008-01-01T21:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:00:34.877-08:00

It was not uncommon most mornings to see men brushing their teeth and rinsing with the front yard garden hose.He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of metal that was the size and shape of a roll of quarters. He wrapped his right hand around it and hit me in the face so hard I began to black out.By Hannah Day I became disenchanted with my job and purchased a used motor home, withdrew

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-75569196840304847092008-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:03:02.801-08:00

Professing deep belief in a Jewish seer who had become known as the Prince of Peace, the Great White Hunter was elected as President of the United States.Each day, more evidence proves, and more people can clearly see, that the Great White Hunter is either dishonest or stupid, or both.By Jean Gerard In a perfect frenzy, God had been busy for centuries, blowing streams of bubbles out into empty

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-64211263109063172552008-01-01T19:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:33:05.383-08:00

‘I noticed immediately that you are a troubled man. I feel a deep compassion for you, son. You are a drinker and a carouser, are you not?’‘You know where my monthly contribution goes? To a slush fund, so the corporate fat cats who use our operation as a write-off can get sloshed in a luxury hotel and bring in call girls.’Working with the railroadBy Dell FranklinI got a call from our dispatcher at

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-11502684035846977062008-01-01T18:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:39:13.830-08:00

When an overwhelming number of inmates get sick, the Health Department is called in to find the source of the epidemic, which is often linked to high levels of bacteria in the water supply.Pissing in the cup had been an agonizing ordeal; I felt a few razor-sharp pebbles pass through me and drop into the cup.Pssst! Don’t drink the water!By Tito David Valdez Jr.Growing up, I recall many people

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-41554265599598979102008-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:49:11.274-08:00

In essence, we have an exhibitionistic and voyeuristic culture that likes to spy and be spied on.Americans now generally disagree with the morality of eaves-dropping on citizens and the torture of suspects, but have become complacent, accepting them as part and parcel of the Bush administration.How Americans learned to accept the unacceptableBy Max TalleyI was a kid in the 1970s in the midst of

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-59948977762977591232008-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T15:55:26.718-08:00

There are people in your neighborhood with a considerable amount of debt, and they’re not above holding your kitty for ransom. Just pay it and consider yourself lucky. A ROUGE VOICE PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGESome have written the Rogue expressing a perception that somehow we harbor a negative view of the community, and the modern urban lifestyle in general. These spurious sentiments hurt our

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-50819109346442197042008-01-01T15:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T16:20:15.988-08:00

DAY’S BLOODI toss yesterday’s tortillasto pack dogs at my door—-with bared fangs and smolderingmatted scruff-fur hackles,they grunt-scarf then slouch away.Snouts in weeds for more chance scraps,in mournful whines and whimpers, heel-nipping,with floppy, sagging, lopsided shuffle,they cross fields towards the Oñate Feedmill,where they gnaw hooves and snarlover gutted intestinesat the back door of

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-71696883840532866462008-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T16:21:18.523-08:00

Plug for the transgenderedTo the Rogue Voice:I’ve been reading your magazine for the past several months, since my brother, Duane Hagabee, began sending me his articles. Considering my brother’s, shall we say, conventional ideas about life, I was rather surprised to see such an otherwise liberal-minded publication coming out of my hometown. The stories from the downtrodden in life, opinion pieces

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-76372488575293178342008-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:002008-01-12T16:22:02.365-08:00

By Stacey WardeAlready we’re hearing the plea, “It’s time to move on. Forget about George W. Bush. Forget about the impeachable crimes committed by his administration against this nation, against humanity. Let’s move on….”Except for one thing.Without an accurate accounting of the crimes committed by the Bush administration, nothing will have changed. It will be business as usual, whether we “move

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-48021468826800326052007-12-01T23:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:02:34.868-08:00

She came over, clad like a cowgirl arriving from a hoedown, all flares and fringes, except for her Santa Claus cap.In the Vegas RoomChristmas Eve, 1967PERSONAL WORSTBy Dell Franklin On Christmas Eve Marshak and I sat in a booth in the Vegas Room in the rundown section of Long Beach off Pacific Coast Highway. The Vegas Room had tables, scuffed dance floor, piano bar, and, for good cheer, a plastic

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-75692276471658986572007-12-01T22:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:13:41.779-08:00

There are sounds like “booley-boo” and “yakkety-yak” peppered into their sentences. Damn if I’m not sitting with a bunch of real life Cajuns. They looked not afraid or overconfident, but annoyed and burdened, as if they’d been walking around with pebbles in their shoes for some time. Cajun footballEpisode 27 By Ben LerouxIn the summer of 2003, I discarded all I owned and loaded a troubled 1975

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-9621654405454149402007-12-01T21:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:03:05.060-08:00

‘The issue isn’t food,’ Dr. Chu droned on. ‘It’s about seeking perfection in an imperfect world.’You are what you eatBy Sherry Shahan When she was wheeled into the day room, attended by her IV drip, Jim thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She seemed absolutely pure, evacuated of all evil, honed to perfection. Her head was an imported melon covered by the finest filo pastry,

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-83405655516944563002007-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:17:06.123-08:00

Living with another man, a stranger and a convicted felon, inside a cage the size of a gas station bathroom is tryingAfter taking my morning dump outside at the yard toilets, since I prefer to not crap in front of my cellie, I saw Cleve standing by himself, near the bank of phones, sad, confused.Cellmates from hellSometimes it’s best to keep your cellieBy Tito David Valdez Jr.Living with another

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-27492302418068965812007-12-01T19:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:03:35.683-08:00

The situation at Attica Prison had been deteriorating all summer, with inmates angry over conditions they found infuriating.With the gunfire came the sound of a helicopter, and a firm order spoken over a loudspeaker: ‘This is the state police! Put your hands in the air–you will not be harmed!’Photo from www.democratandchronicle.comAttica, plus 36A reporter’s retrospective on the 1971 prison

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-79755097205899528872007-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:07:50.868-08:00

She’s gotta be tolerant of damaged idiots who can articulate past failures and future successes. She’s gotta have some goddamn hips and be able to move them when she walks.Fortunately, I did well enough during the boom years to carry me over, so at least I don’t have to work out of a position of, well, you know, desperation, or panic.Photo courtesy of Frank PetersThe ideal womanBy Talmadge

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-47127693253233115282007-12-01T16:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:04:18.131-08:00

The bag at my feet is filled with military manuals, but I prefer the poems, thinking they may be my last chance to reflect for a while.War’s intensity is a great catalyst for reflection, but few combatants can afford the luxury. Most real thought must wait until the shooting stops.An ex-soldier’s take on recent war poetry. Sinan Antoon. The Baghdad Blues. Harbor Mountain Press, 42 pp., $10.

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-48277711783252553542007-12-01T15:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:04:46.313-08:00

The stories take place in donut shops, nightclubs, shabby rooms. Everybody is dogged by something, or somebody, and yet, somehow, they are no sadder than any of us.Dogged by lifeShort stories of lost souls struggling for a shred of dignityBook Review of Dead Boys by Richard Lange By Dell FranklinHaving never reviewed a book, but being an avid reader, I can pretty much tell what is bullshit and

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-39352828367672801292007-12-01T14:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:05:18.486-08:00

Poets and other writers are in style now.They win prizes named “Booker” and “Tor House”and – of all things – “The National PoetryAwards,” name-dropping grants and prizes. People sit and listen to them reador recite. Please refrain from clapping in between.Then, what inspired me, who has influenced me,when I began to write, why I continue. But that was before I was invited to the White

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-44430158950987334282007-12-01T13:00:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:05:55.462-08:00

Reading this paper is like going home and I’m happy to be here.Life is not a fairy tale, Ashley. This is the real deal.The beauty of art is that it reflects even the most roguish truths of life.Feels like homeAshley:I read with concern your letter to The Rogue Voice editor [“Backwards tripe,” November 2007]. I’ve worked out in gyms and I know that many of the men and women who go there may as

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-16515871398220743592007-12-01T12:01:00.000-08:002007-12-03T20:06:31.349-08:00

The best and worstBy Stacey Warde I’m a mess. Just look at me. Scary, isn’t it? The holidays bring out the best and the worst in people.Prison does that too. The Army, dive bars, homosexual truck drivers. All these things conspire to turn us into beasts, sniveling saps or decent individuals. It’s all in how we cope, how we deal with the situation. This holiday edition is full of the best and the

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-38166818330310228182007-11-01T11:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:34:16.518-07:00

The stigma of another unpopular war is killing our soldiers.The full scope of suicides among Iraq war vets is still unknown.Poems of warMaking friends with the enemyBy Stacey WardeCHERYL Softich answers the phone at American Bank of the North in Mountain Iron, Minnesota, her voice leaden, measured.Her son, Noah Charles Pierce, recently took his own life, living with the harsh judgment of an

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-578989530078854842007-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:38:18.660-07:00

FriendsI feel bad for the kidsCan’t blame them for beggingCan’t give them anything, they beg moreThis one was differentHe was 7I let him sit next to me on the BradleyI give him water,He goes gets me food.It’s great compared to MRE’sNo englishNo arabicYet we still understand each otherThen it’s time to leaveHe wraps his arms around me cryingI say it will be okI still wonder if he is.—Noah Charles

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-25612960829366830192007-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:002007-11-05T20:46:15.315-08:00

Money wrapped like that meant it was ready to be weighed. Weighing money saved people time and nobody weighed less than a hundred thousand at a time./ Carlos’s grandma pulled something out of his hair with her hand, looking at it with her fingers. Carlos looked at it too. There was blood between her fingers.(Part IV) Carlos finds trouble his first night on the town By Antonio C. de BacaEditor’s

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-24992985598621825952007-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:41:04.215-07:00

If you have ethics and integrity, you don’t need someone to tell you the right thing to do. ‘You can’t be controlled by what somebody else thinks of you.’ROGUE MEISTER Rogue Ales founder Jack Joyce is a businessman of the first order, I noted. No nonsense. Gets right to it.DRINK UP Jack takes a hit off his tea, mentions jail time he served as a boy….Jack JoyceFather of a Rogue NationStory and

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-61931108063598412292007-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:42:10.029-07:00

Whether ridiculing innocent Christians, fat ladies, successful people, or struggling Cal Poly students, the Rogue Voice never passes up a chance to mock, mock, mock. Consider me your port of sunlight in the storm of pessimistic liberal propaganda—your SLO sentinel, standing guard over the Rogue Voice’s assault on values, much like FOX News stands guard over television these days with fairness

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-12097189098016758112007-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:43:07.040-07:00

The city needed to record his feelings before the developers continued. Recording his feelings would be a show of good faith on their part and might appease the town liberals.The whiskey was as good as it was strong, without aftertaste, and she wondered about the price of the bottle.The interviewFor a well planned developmentBy Peter Brown Hoffmeister Fedya pulled out the kitchen chair for her

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-55307247690744419182007-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:44:19.359-07:00

Why there is a big toy-train store in Angleton, Texas, I don’t know, but there is, and a jolly red-faced owner inside, playing with toy trains. I shift in Frank’s doorway, unsure whether to stand, lean, come in, or put my hands in my pockets. The situation brings back military memories of submission for survival. Noble hackerEpisode 26 By Ben Leroux In the summer of 2003, I discarded all I

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-6778506488530692112007-11-01T04:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:45:27.505-07:00

The college kids were drunk, tired, impatient, ragged, eager to get home, glued to cell phones.The moose kept sagging back down, unable to open his eyes, curling up, perfectly happy sleeping it off….By Dell FranklinI parked on the main drag and walked the thirty or so yards to McCarthy’s and went inside, around midnight, and the place was jam -packed, noisy, no moving or breathing room, and the

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-13047917925125214062007-11-01T03:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:46:21.602-07:00

Currently, 11.2 percent of children in the U.S. have no health insurance. This is disgraceful.In his observations of Cuba’s health care facilities “now mired in neglect,” Dr. Sainsbury might just as easily have been describing Walter Reed Hospital.A real problemClaims about care for the uninsured deserve a response(A response to Dr. Sainsbury's review of the Michael Moore documentary, "Sicko")By

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-79849487029776374512007-11-01T02:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:47:09.307-07:00

‘Backwards tripe’Dear Editor:Allow me to give all the reasons your paper falls miserably short of representing the common man, all those ignored by this predominantly white, conservative, hetero-normative community. Why, when I pick up your paper, my stomach coils in disappointment and anger.You write to and about sexist, homophobic men. Your writers themselves are sexist, homophobic men, so how

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-59413271483029826122007-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:002007-11-01T11:47:40.808-07:00

By Stacey WardeI don’t care what Ashley Schwellenbach says, we’re more than just a bunch of sexist homophobes touting “backwards tripe.”We’re—what’s the expression?—fun. Unpredictable. Pig-headed. Maladroit. Culturally and politically incorrect. We’re Rogues.In a nutshell, Ashley doesn’t hold us in very high regard. And, being the arts editor of New Times, she should know what she’s talking about

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-61072391165758506902007-10-01T23:00:00.000-07:002007-10-05T16:20:31.250-07:00

The black dude turns to me, headset on his neck. ‘What’cha wanna watch, pops? Faggots cookin’ fo’ bitches? Or Tiger?’‘This ain’t no country club for white bitches. This here a gym!’By Talmadge JarratteeI’ve just paid $10 to work out in a gym in an exclusive area of Marin County after a night of boozing in the city with my pal Rocco, and I want my money’s worth. My gym down in Santa Cruz costs

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-70399399401954055452007-10-01T22:00:00.000-07:002007-10-06T17:17:12.895-07:00

‘Fuck that parole board! That is why I don’t even show up when they ducat me. I just want them to leave me alone. I’m content on leaving here in a pine box.’Will the parole board want to talk about the way he killed his young wife, go over all the gruesome details and relive that nightmare which happened 20 years ago?Parole grantedWhat you gonna do when you get out of jail?By Tito David Valdez

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-12109158000068519772007-10-01T21:00:00.000-07:002007-10-06T17:12:41.993-07:00

He opens a book of short stories by Anton Chekhov. But then, remembering he will need strength for the night ahead, he tucks Chekhov under his arm and goes looking for food.Ci-Ci’s is crawling with soccer families, bawling babies, and stoned teenagers.Photo illustration by Stacey WardeBlue NortherEpisode 25 By Ben LerouxIn the summer of 2003, I discarded all I owned and loaded a troubled 1975

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-2547566003969791072007-10-01T20:00:00.000-07:002007-10-06T17:26:59.827-07:00

Carlos didn’t have to tell anyone in prison that he was a gang member. But he told every one; it was one of the things he was proud of in life, that and the fact that he sold hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs.Only the most heartless could go out and have a laugh with their victims before they killed them.(Part III) Carlos hooks up with his old homies for a night at the club By

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-26509358399056126432007-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:002007-10-06T17:23:00.604-07:00

It wasn’t the time to think about yourself, or your career. Joining up was the decent and honorable thing to do.Murry Franklin, gave up his Major League career, as did others, for a stint with America’s wartime Navy.Photo courtesy of Dell FranklinOne who didn't goBaseball stories by Murray Franklin as told to his son, Dell FranklinAlmost everybody in baseball who was young enough and able-bodied

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-43961105275026294052007-10-01T18:30:00.000-07:002007-10-05T17:42:20.712-07:00

She rides slouched, languid, perspiring into the sheepskin seat cover. Thin ropes of wet hair cling to her temples. She is wilted, sodden.Burning end of daysBy Steven BirdTheir gray tabby is a smart little guy, usually cool, and a remarkably good traveler. He knew they were leaving, as soon as they started breaking camp and loading stuff into the SUV. Most cats would disappear at that point,

The Rogue Voicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14313553098329869592noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29194742.post-59653981001442227622007-10-01T18:00:00.000-07:002007-10-05T17:29:26.846-07:00

Photo courtesy of Dr. Steve SainsburyWhat made Sicko, the brainchild of Flint, Michigan’s favorite son, a nondocumentary? Let me count the ways.Health care in the ‘evil’ empireBy Dr. Steve SainsburyDespite being a physician, and part of the complex medical institution skewered by Michael Moore in the movie “Sicko,” I actually liked this film. It was interesting and entertaining. Of course, I also

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One night she locked me out of our cottage, forcing me to sleep in the bed of my old pickup.‘So where’s your tool belt?’ he asked.‘I don’t have one.’‘You don’t have one,’ he repeated to himself.Carpenter on (and off) the roofTwo days on (and off) the job By Dell FranklinI was living with Lauren, who actually resembled Lauren Bacall and was disappointed and frustrated with my drinking and

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Go Tiger!By Stacey WardeNo matter how good things are, there’s always someone or something that will attempt to ruin them for you.Sure, you may have a great thing going, but rest assured that sooner or later you’ll meet an obstacle, usually in the form of a person, an antagonist, unhappy until they can make your life as wretched as their own.Why this is, I’ll never understand. Some people just

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After the Lunch HourHe lets me off at a busy corner in a city still strange to me,but home now on days when clouds hang low.The motions are simple ones:my leg dropping down onto pavement, the lifted coat hemso as not to catch the car door, the slam, the wave goodbye.An act so familiar that I forget we live far apartand he is here for a few days then gone across distancesI see only on maps shoved

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If two liberal minded hippie swingsters like Duane and Bethany can do it, we can too. You can be as freaky and free spirited as you want, but out of courtesy, keep your perversions private.Peas in a podDear Duane Hagabee: We were thrilled to have our little letter answered by such a touching defense of our county. We feel as if we know you, Duane and Bethany. We could not agree more with your

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The writers at The Rogue Voice seem to think they are the only ones in the county with problems.Anyone who believes that SLO is too white or racially intolerant has never seen my wife Bethany in Albertson’s when she spots a small black child. By Duane HagabeeI was pleased (albeit surprised) last month to open the pages of The Rogue Voice and find a most insightful, thought-provoking letter from a

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Rodriguez opened the door and stepped inside, his shoes getting drenched with blood as he checked Danny’s pulse.One officer close to us commented, ‘Imagine if we could get them all to do this, that would be cool!’Suicidal tendenciesBy Tito David Valdez Jr.New Folsom Prison 1996—Maximum SecurityThe prison dayroom was packed as inmates arrived to the cellblock from school or work at 3 p.m. It was

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In view of the many impeachable offenses that have come to light since Bush has taken office, it is imperative, says Fein, to remove him and Cheney from their posts immediatelyHarding presided over, next to George W. Bush, one of the most unseemly presidencies ever to wield the powers and privileges of our nation’s highest officeStatesmanship, not partisan politics, demands impeachmentBy Stacey

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Finally, veteran bartender I was, I did what I’d done over the years to drunks passed out at the bar: I took my quart bottle of water and poured and splashed the entire contents on his face.His head lolled to his shoulder, his eyes were badly glazed and three-quarters shut, and he had an asinine grin on his face.Photo illustration by Stacey Warde‘Thanks for the water’By Dell FranklinAround two in

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‘Your grandma is worried about you. She thinks that you might get involved with your old friends.’Carlos felt madness moving through his bones. He wanted to tell the foreman that no one talked to him like that.Carlos returns to his hometown to start a new lifeBy Antonio C. de BacaEditor’s note: We’re pleased to present the work of Antonio C. de Baca, who spent ten years in prison and is currently

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Who could say they’d washed windows in over thirty towns throughout the western United States? Who would want to?God, giving, and the GulfEpisode 24 By Ben LerouxIn the summer of 2003, I discarded all I owned and loaded a troubled 1975 Plymouth with clothes, books, a guitar, a cat named Reggie, and $17.94 worth of window-cleaning equipment. I drove across the United States, stopping in nowhere

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He had a sarcastic way of saying things that always got your goat—he was a first--class needler, an original, maybe the best in the game.The bench jockey“Birdie” Tebbetts knew how to get under a guy’s skinBaseball stories by Murray Franklin as told to his son, Dell FranklinTebbetts was a very good catcher and a pretty fair hitter and he knew the game inside out, and especially pitchers. He knew

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The owner of the car wash installed a police scanner that he used to monitor La Migra—the Immigration Man. At night I’d dream I was wiping down cars, one after another, until I woke up, tired from the evening’s virtual labor.Working at the car wash We played the immigration gameBy Hannah DayMost days on this busy corner in Southern California were hot, dry, and buzzing with activity. But today

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I’d brought along a pearl necklace worth a king’s ransom and handed it to her, her eyes glinting green in the sun, piercing deep into mineSuddenly she arose and unstrapped the dual pistols and let them fall to the cabin floor. She tossed aside the silk scarf circling her neck and unbuttoned her shirt…Dalliance with Barbara Belle, Queen of PiratesExcerpts from the Captain’s JournalBy Dennis

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Photo illustration by Stacey WardeThe other day the owner of the gym and an employee plastered blurry designs on the front window of the workout room, blocking views from the outside, so that guys like me can no longer ogle the babesI’m going to consult Bruno when I’m ready to have my hip replaced, or my arteries re-routed, or my gizzard removed, or my cataracts scraped off. He's had it allEvery

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