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Sunset Trail: Thistle Warrior

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On Christmas Day, I met my brother for a sunset hike on Sunset Trail, and the view, of course, was spectacular.  On our way back we saw a figure tidying up the trail, who turned out to be none other than John Brega, who I usually see on a small screen in monthly Friends of Joaquin Miller Park board meetings. Somehow we got on the topic of thistles. My brother excused himself at that point, perhaps triggered by memories of our childhood thistle trauma. But I used this opportunity to put mine to use. "How do you get rid of them?" I asked John. "We used to have to walk around our property with a paper bag and clippers." We couldn't come back inside until the bag was full, no matter how cold it was, how bored we were, or how pricked and stabbed our little fingers were. It seemed an insurmountable task, protecting our garden and yard from their invasion. I remembered seeing them in the Park years ago, feeling crestfallen. But where were they now? The sunset-lit slope...
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The Browning Monument: Poetic Friendships Endure

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On May 5th, I had the great pleasure of celebrating Robert Browning's birthday with Dennis Parks, the president of The San Francisco Browning Society at the Browning Monument in Joaquin Miller Park. Who were the Brownings and Why is there a Monument to them? Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning were two very famous Romantic-era English poets who were also husband and wife.  ( Fun fact:  both Robert and Elizabeth were descendants of mixed-race Jamaicans. ) Robert, who survived Elizabeth, formed a genuine personal friendship with Joaquin Miller when Miller found his way into 1870s London literary life. Miller also visited Robert in Italy, where he wrote more books and poems and made more friends. He was likely exposed to the Brownings' poetry all his life. Miners were known to carry their books among their gold-rush supplies! The San Francisco Browning Society The Browning Society was first founded in London in 1880, a year before Robert died. Chapters sprou...
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4/24 Joaquin Miller Reconsidered: A Closer Look at Oakland’s OG Poet

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Thursday, April 24 Joaquin Miller Reconsidered: A Closer Look at Oakland’s OG Poet Horse thief or humanist? Poet, playwright and author Joaquin Miller left his mark on the Bay Area, the West, America, and the World. Sliding Scale Donations - Get your ticket today! The "big personality" behind Oakland's largest green space is remembered by Oaklanders as a showman, a rascal, and a humbug, but history has forgotten the light this insightful genius brought to some very dark times in America. Kristen Caven, the California Writers Club Writer in Residence at Joaquin Miller Park, shares new information and revelations about the most iconic poet in the country at the turn of the last century. Learn how Miller shaped Oakland, the West, and the World at this engaging presentation, both through his prolific, progressive writing, his humor, his relationships, and his diverse literary and intentional community. You’ll also meet some fascinating historians and writers, and hear some to...
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