Nob Hill writer Dorothy Hearst (not related to the newspaper dynasty) just sealed an agreement with Simon & Schuster to publish Dorothy's first novel, "The Wolf Chronicles, Book I: Promise of the Wolves." Dorothy took the big plunge two years ago, to step away from her editing job at Jossey-Bass Publishers, and devote all of her time to writing. Her long-shot has paid off. Good on you, good neighbor Dorothy. ...
The popular John Barleycorn pub on Nob Hill continues to hang in and hang on -- but it still faces a September deadline for being closed permanently by the new owner of the building, Luisa Hanson. She is mum about her plans. Owner Larry Ayre and his crew will have a July 4 sidewalk barbeque in front of the tavern on Larkin at California. The supporters of Save the Barleycorn have collected over 3,000 signatures for their web site, savethebarleycorn.com. Every good sentiment is sweet music to their ears, particularly after this writer was on the premises when the Barleycorn's vintage jukebox had a seizure, then passed on it its reward. I still feel guilty about have a hand in its death. Gee, I was only playing "On the Wings of a Nightingale" by the Everly Bros. seventeen times in a row. Swan songs are in season. ... The wonderful Don Asher, late of Moose's, is now playing the piano on Sunday afternoons at the Big 4, giving the elegant place even more elegance. Nob Hill resident Diane Morrill is already charmed. "Don plays 'Smile for Me, My Diane' when I'm here."... "The Big 4 is the greatest saloon in San Francisco," David McCullough likes to say. ... Georgette Rodarakis of KTRB-860 AM, says this "newest" talk station is looking for local programs -- instead of that downlinked rubbish that plagues San Francisco airwaves all too often. ... One Internet station out of LA is making a splash with locals, Martini-in-the-Morning.com. It's a non-stop selection of the Great American Songbook. "Baby Boomers are tired of the same old Top 40 oldies," e-mails program director Brad Chambers. Brad takes requests, by the way. He plays lots of Cole Porter. That pleases S.F. keyboard wizard Barry Lloyd, who has finally put together his one-man Bobby Short tribute show. ...
The Ghost of the Holy Grail has been restless lately. Did you know there's a ghost that haunts the building, formerly the funky but venerable Maye's Oyster House at 1233 Polk Street? "I've seen her," reports Myles O'Reilly, the Holy Grail proprietor. "She's a young woman who dances around the dining room in a white diaphanous gown, then quickly vanishes." Myles says the story goes that she was the likely victim of a homicide in the cellar about fifty years ago. "She's been rather active lately," says Erlynn Smithers Hubbard, who manages the B&B over the restaurant. "Lately all sorts of crazy things have been happening -- windows mysteriously opening & closing, clock radios going off & on. It's a little unnerving." ... Barnaby Conrad III took in the ACT production of Moliere's "The Invisible Invalid" the other night, and was perversely amused by the notes on the life of the French playwright. "Moliere ended up marrying the 20-something daughter of his mistress," Barnaby notes. "It was rumored to be incest, as the mother was pregnant at the same time Moliere began his affiliation with her. Shades of Woody Allen and Soon-Yi." This my fascinate Barnaby because his latest novel in called "The Bachelor." ... Speaking of novels, Barnaby's brilliant Irish friend, Dave Monagan has a new book just out, "Journey Into the Heart," which is about pioneering surgeon and cardiologists. It's sort of a "The Right Stuff" for the world of cardio-exploration, with all the attendant zany characters. Fred Hill, the Bay Area's most famous literary agent, got Dave his book deal. ...
David Harris, the astute journalist, activist, and draft resister who went to federal prison for 20 months in the 60s, appeared at the Commonwealth Club last month with Joan Blades, the Berkeley-born founder of moveon.org. "I'm often introduced as 'a husband of Joan Baez', no matter how relevant it is," Harris told me. He and Baez were divorced in 1973. More relevant is Harris was married to the late New York Times reporter Lacey Fosburgh, who wrote "Closing Time: The True Story of the Goodbar Murder" and "Old Money." Lacey died of breast cancer in 1993. ... Harris, is the author of a new book, The Crisis" -- about the Iranian hostage episode in 1979, certainly walked the walk by going to prison, has not lost his fire, nor his defiance. "There's a liberal myth that reinstating the draft would end this war in Iraq. A draft would only give unlimited power to the people who are already drunk with power. I never thought I'd say I'd miss Richard Nixon, but I do." ... When I hear people condemn immigrants these days, I'm reminded how Irving Berlin, a Jew from Russia, wrote "God Bless America." ... "I don't know what to do with San Francisco these days," says longtime resident Cynthia Fine. "There's less charm, less civility, less soul." The only thing there's more of is "less." We all have days like that. ... Sandra Stolz found herself in the thick of the Gay Pride Parade and, in a shower of small packages. "It's personal lubricant," chuckled Sandra. My favorite kind, truly community standard. "I went to Pier 39 to hear the sea lions," Sandra added, "but they were curiously quiet on Gay Pride Weekend." You know the old saying -- do whatever you want as long as it isn't in front of the children or doesn't frightens the sea lions. ... Naomi Murdach says he's still down the by water, scanning the horizon: "I'm waiting for my ship to come in, but the dock is rotting." ...
It's hard to imagine that it's been two years since the death of the kind comrade Chet Helms. His brother, Johnny, reminded us of the occasion. There was a gathering at the Columbarium of June 25, the anniversary of Chet's passing, to recall his life. It seems a little indecent to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love without him. ... There are murmurs that the storied, unique Plush Room may be moved to another location by end of year. ... Meanwhile, can the Lorraine Hansberry Theater, which is located in the Sutter Street building that once housed the Hotel Sheehan, survive a takeover bid from the ubiquitous Academy of Art University? I have to confess: Google and the Academy of Art University seem to have divided the modern world between themselves. ... Lester Holt, the weekend anchor of the NBC Nightly News, started as a radio reporter at KCBS back in 1980. But Lester remembers his colleagues. NBC covered the non-feeding ordinance and the Parrots of Telegraph Hill as well as Mayor Newsom's ban on bottled water at City Hall. "Jeez," says Lester, "you can't even give the poor birds a bottle of Evian." ... Local canary Lua Hadar tells us that Madame Jo and Trio will appear at the Octavia Lounge, Aug. 9, part of the Jazz Without Borders series. Local-boy-turned-international star Shawn Ryan plays the Herbst Hall on Aug. 24. ... Ed Moose held his sixth annual gathering of the City's hotel doormen (no, I didn't see any women) at Moose's restaurant last month. After Willie Brown left, the doormen swapped stories. The Sir Francis Drake's Tom Sweeney encouraged tales of how brazen people have tried to steal their doorman hats. Tom's Beefeater chapeau costs $300. He has fetched the police after many a hat pirate. On one occasion it started a freeway chase across the Bay Bridge, with many cop cars in pursuit of the purloined lid. Don't mess with Tom. In every case, the coppers got the toppers. ...
Bruce Bellingham is the author of Bellingham by the Bay, and hopes to report the publication of his new book, "The Angina Dialogues" some day soon ... He's also a staff writer for the S.F. Northside and the Marina Times.
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