Editorial Board
Doug Porter – Archive of Doug’s posts…
Doug Porter was active in the early days of the alternative press in San Diego, contributing to the OB Liberator, the print version of the OB Rag, the San Diego Door, and the San Diego Street Journal. He went on to have a 35-year career in the Hospitality business and decided to go back into raising hell when he retired. He won awards for ‘Daily Reporting and Writing: Opinion/Editorial’ from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Doug is a cancer survivor (sans vocal chords) and lives in North Park.
Doug is also the energy behind the daily column titled “The Starting Line”. Follow him on twitter @dougporter506. You can reach him at: dougporter@sandiegofreepress.org.
Frank Gormlie – Archive of Frank’s posts…
A lawyer and grassroots activist, I was finally convinced by Patty Jones to start the OB Rag after she got tired of listening to my rants about the news. Way back during the Dinosaurs in 1970, I founded the original Ocean Beach People’s Rag – OB’s famous underground newspaper, and then later during the early Eighties, published The Whole Damn Pie Shop, a progressive alternative to the Reader.
Anna Daniels – Archive of Anna’s posts..
I left a moribund Western Pennsylvania mill town the year that Richard M. Nixon was not impeached for crimes against the American people and set off in search of truth, beauty, justice and a beat I could dance to. Here I am.
Patty Jones – Archive of Patty’s posts…
Affectionately known as the “tech desk” in the virtual San Diego Free Press office, Patty likes to tinker with things; mechanical, geekery…. anything she can hope to take apart and put back together (including this website). Got a comment regarding the website or technical issues? Send them to Patty!
Annie Lane – Archive of Annie’s posts…
“If you don’t feel it, flee from it. Go where you are celebrated, not merely tolerated.” – Paul F. Davis
Brent E. Beltrán – Archive of Brent’s posts…
Brent E. Beltrán is a third generation pocho and second generation San Diegan that lives next door to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan. He’s the former publisher of Calaca Press, is married to his healing heart watcher Olympia and is the proud father of a youngling name Sandino. Brent is a member of the SDFP Editorial Board, used to write the column Desde la Logan, posts Looking Back at the Week every Sunday morning, sits on the Barrio Logan Community Planning Group, and is on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Health Coalition. He can be contacted via email at desdelalogan@gmail.com and through his Twitter account @DesdeLaLogan.
He is so interesting that the Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World” calls him for advice. Here’s an archive of his advice.
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Regular Contributors
Norma Damashek – Archive of Norma’s posts…
Norma Damashek is a long-time civic activist who focuses on promoting decision-making that serves the public good. She has spearheaded community-based coalitions and served on city and regional-government task forces and as past president of San Diego’s League of Women Voters. Norma received Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego chapter, 2015 and 2016 Journalism Awards. She opines on her website NumbersRunner.
Bob Dorn – Archive of Bob’s posts…
CBob Dorn was an Evening Tribune staff writer and left the paper, becoming the local stringer for The New York Times and San Jose Mercury News and writing for The Reader and San Diego Magazine. He taught writing for some 12 years in UCSD’s Literature Department writing program. Bob received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego chapter, 2016 Journalism Award.
Will Falk – Archive of Will’s posts…
Will Falk moved to the West Coast from Milwaukee, WI where he was a public defender. His first passion is poetry and his work is an effort to record the way the land is speaking. He feels the largest and most pressing issue confronting us today is the destruction of natural communities. He received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Chapter, 2016 Journalism award. He is currently living in Utah.
Junco Canché – Archive of Junco’s posts…
Junco Canché, the Chicano Punk Rock Artesano, was born in the US and raised in Mexico. His influences include cartoons, punk rock, manga, and Mayan codexes . Before SDFP, Junco drew cartoons for El Coyote Online, La Prensa News, and the Southwestern College Sun. He’s received awards from the JACC and the local Society of Professional Journalists. Currently following the path of the artisan and working towards his B.A. in graphic design. Email him at: juncocanche@gmail.com
Eric J. Garcia – Archive of Eric’s posts…
Known for mixing history and culture with contemporary themes, Eric J. Garcia always tries to create art that is much more than just aesthetics. Born and raised in Albuquerque’s South Valley, Garcia earned his BFA from the University of New Mexico and went on to get his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. You can follow him on Twitter @garciaink or friend him on Facebook.
John Lawrence – Archive of John’s posts…
John Lawrence graduated from Georgia Tech, Stanford and University of California at San Diego. While at UCSD, he was one of the original writer/workers on the San Diego Free Press in the late 1960s. He founded the San Diego Jazz Society in 1984 which had grants from the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and presented both local and nationally known jazz artists. John received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego chapter, 2014 award. His website is Social Choice and Beyond which exemplifies his interest in Economic Democracy. His book is East West Synthesis. He also blogs at Will Blog For Food. He can be reached at j.c.lawrence@cox.net.
Ernie McCray – Archive of Ernie’s posts…
I was raised in a loving and alive home, in a black neighborhood filled with colorful characters in Tucson, Arizona. Such an environment gave me a hint that life has to be grabbed by the tail as tight as a pimple on a mosquito’s butt. With no BS and a whole lot of love. So, from those days to now I get up every morning set on making the world a better place. On my good foot, and I hope my writing reflects that.
Jim Miller – Archive of Jim’s posts…
Jim Miller, a professor at San Diego City College, is the co-author of Under the Perfect Sun: The San Diego Tourists Never See and Better to Reign in Hell, and author of the novel Drift. His most recent novel on the San Diego free speech fights and the IWW, Flash, is on AK Press.
Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes – Archive of Ish’s posts…
Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes was born and raised in San Diego, California. He attended Herbert Hoover High School and went on to study Religion and Theology at the University of San Diego. His book Intimate Geography won the 2012 San Diego Book Award for Poetry. Ish, as he is known, has also written lyrics for German musicians Andrea Hörkens and Thomas Roderburg (Tender Art).
Maria Garcia – Archive of Maria’s posts…
Maria Garcia is a retired school principal and has been an activist in the Chicano movement since 1968. She is the recipient of the 2015 SOHO Cultural Heritage Award for her Neighborhood House series and was designated as one of six Women of the Year (2015) by State Senator Ben Hueso for her historical preservation of life in Logan Heights. She is an inductee in the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame 2016. Maria is also a member of the Latino Baseball History Project Advisory Board and the San Diego City Schools Latino Advisory Board. Maria received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Chapter 2016 Journalism award and hosts a weekly talk show, Vecinos on WSRadio.com. She is a recipient of the State of CA Governor’s Historic Preservation Award (2017); selected as a Latino Champion by San Diego Union-Tribune (2017); Citizen of the Year Award from the San Diego Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa (2017). The San Diego City Council declared December 5, 2017 as Maria Garcia Day. Awarded Honorable Mention by the 2018 International Latino Book Awards in the category of Best History Book, English for La Neighbor: A Settlement House in Logan Heights.
Jeeni Criscenzo – Archive of Jeeni’s posts…
Jeeni Criscenzo founded Amikas, a non-profit that works to house homeless women and children, particularly veteran women. She was one of the founders of Women Occupy San Diego and remains active in supporting many liberal causes, locally and nationally. In 2006 she was the Democratic candidate for the 49th Congressional District, running against Darrell Issa. In 2016 she was named Women’s History Month Local Hero by the Women’s Museum of California. She is an avid gardener, relentless feminist, performance poet, proud grandmother and now, this…
Richard Riehl – Archive of Richard’s posts…
After his 30-year career in public education, Richard Riehl began his second life as a freelance journalist, beginning as an op-ed columnist for San Diego’s former daily newspaper, North County Times. During the 2008 Presidential campaign he edited the Huffington Post’s daily, Roadkill: OffTheBus’s Ongoing RoundUp of the Awkward, the Ugly, and the Just Plain Weird. His articles have appeared in the San Diego Reader’s BlogDiego, Carlsbadistan-Taming The Wilds of Carlsbad-by-The-Sea, and the OsideNews.com. Richard received a Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Chapter 2016 Journalism award. Check out his blog at The Riehl World, email him at richard_riehl@yahoo.com, and follow him on Twitter, @RichardRiehl.
Yuko Kurahashi – Archive of Yuko’s posts…
Yuko Kurahashi is an associate professor of theatre in the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University. Her areas of specialty include multicultural theatre, community-based theatre, and intercultural theatre. She is the author of Asian American Culture on Stage: The History of the East West Players (Garland, 1999) and Multicultural Theatre (Kendall/Hunt, 2004 & 2006). She writes reviews and articles for scholarly journals and other venues and she is an official contributing writer for PlayShakespeare.com. Married to a man born and raised in San Diego, Kurahashi commutes to the America’s finest city, where she enjoys her theatre, culture, and community activities. She can be reached at ykurahashi.theatrereviews@gmail.com
At-Large Contributors, Past and Present
Avital Aboody – Archive of Avital’s posts…
John P. Anderson – Archive of John’s posts…
Michael “Mikey Beats” Beltran – Archive of Mikey’s posts…
Raymond Bender – Archive of Raymond’s posts…
Lauree Benton – Archive of Lauree’s posts…
Jim Bliesner – Archive of Jim’s posts…
Vanessa Ceseña – Archive of Vanessa’s posts…
Colleen Cochran – Archive of Colleen’s posts…
Andy Cohen – Archive of Andy’s posts…
Stephen Cooper – Archive of Stephen’s posts…
Stephanie Corkran – Archive of Stephanie’s posts…
michael-leonard creditor – Archive of michael-leonard’s posts…
Judi Curry –Archive of Judi’s posts…
Beryl Forman – Archive of Beryl’s posts…
Don Greene – Archive of Don’s posts…
Dixon Guizot – Archive of Dixon’s posts…
Daniel Gutiérrez – Archive of Daniel’s posts…
Alejandra Enciso Guzmán – Archive of Alejandra’s posts…
Jack Hamlin – Archive of Jack’s posts…
Joni Halpern – Archive of Joni’s posts…
Anne Haule – Archive of Anne’s posts…
Horacio Jones – Archive of Horacio’s posts…
Karen Kenyon – Archive of Karen’s posts…
Mukul Khurana – Archive of Mukul’s posts…
Nat Krieger – Archive of Nat’s posts…
Stan Levin – Archive of Stan’s post…
Layla Marino – Archive of Layla’s posts…
Sarah “Steve” Mosko – Archive of Sarah’s posts…
Mimi Pollack – Archive of Mimi’s posts…
Micaela Shafer Porte – Archive of Mic’s posts…
Eva Posner – Archive of Eva’s posts…
Jay Powell – Archive of Jay’s posts…
Lori Saldaña – Archive of Lori’s posts …
Christine Schanes – Archive of Christine’s posts…
Susan Taylor – Archive of Susan’s posts…
Thomas Ultican – Archive of Thomas’ posts…
Brett Warnke – Archive of Brett’s posts…
Barbara Zaragoza – Archive of Barbara’s posts…
Peter Zschiesche – Archive of Peter’s posts…
Serialized Authors
Steve Burns – The Dove and the Cockerel
Richard Juarez – Tío Emilio
Maria Garcia – A History of Neighborhood House in Logan Heights; Latinos in San Diego
Democratic Woman’s Club of San Diego – Who Runs San Diego
If you are interested in being a contributor to the San Diego Free Press shoot us an email at Contact@SanDiegoFreePress.org