A.AAAAHOOO! The first term found in a book on “surfspeak." is reported as the sound made by a surfer when up and riding a wave, when watching another surfer catch a hot ride, or when …
July 6, 2026
Articles by Hawkins Mitchell
How to talk like a San Diego surfer
I was a Negro in San Diego
Writers, they say, have really only one story to tell. I'm not sure this is so, but if it is then my story is an account of how I lost my soul. It occurred slowly …
April 27, 2026
San Diegans at the Renegade explain country music
The Reader has started this series of its best stories from the past 52 years — 2600 cover stories and some remarkable interior features — to help make up for the loss of its physical …
October 3, 2025
More glimpses of San Diego pop music
O.D. Corral – country-rock, ranging from Loggins and Messina to Doug Kershaw1974 was a long time agoO. D. Corral is one of San Diego’s most popular bands, judging by the number of people who follow …
September 29, 2025
San Diego blacks: what if I'd been white?
A whole different story if I'd been white Golden Age Garden Apartments (740 South 36th Street), built in 1983, has 76 apartments on its four floors. Requirements for obtaining an apartment here are that one …
January 20, 2024
San Diego's love of country music
Out there on the dance floor is a bit of paradise Almost everybody in East County knows about the place, but not nearly so many visit This is because the Renegade has a reputation. Rumors …
August 8, 2022
Castrated San Diegans
Life as a castrated man There was one psychological change that can be attributed solely to his new shortage of testosterone. He lost his interest in sex. It wasn’t dramatic, says Tom. Rather, he simply …
August 6, 2022
Bataan Death March victim lives to tell story
Die free One of our corporals had fallen during the night crossing Samat and injured his hip some way, so we were helping him all the way back for six days. We had to put …
July 18, 2022
Navy corpsman on the Mekong, black unrest on the Kitty Hawk, best Vietnam books
Escape! Then he emptied out the bag before us. Two small cans and some plastic sacks with lump sugar, salt, and sesame seeds fell to the ground. Glancing around, I could see that all my …
December 11, 2021