Jane Merryman

a fish trapped inside the wind*

The Writer

I write personal essay. I write to find out how I feel about something, an aspiration I learned from the poet May Sarton. I sometimes picture myself as a grizzled prospector leading a forlorn, burdened donkey into the trackless waste of basin and range country, looking for riches that might be only a few bright flecks in a stream.

These essays explore my world, from the hiking trails of California to the Java Sea and the Silk Road, from school days to retirement, from my backyard to my bookshelves. I invite you to read them—with this caveat from the Persian poet Hafiz:
Listen: this world is the lunatic's sphere,
Don't always agree it's real,

Even with my feet upon it
And the postman knowing my door

My address is somewhere else.


*The quote above about the fish is from Pablo Neruda.



How to Make Huckleberry Muffins

Filed under: Musings — November 24, 2007 @ 7:24 pm

            First, pick the huckleberries.
            Huckleberries have not been successfully tamed and are not grown commercially. You can’t pop into Safeway and pick up a can of Wyman’s huckleberries. So, the first step in making muffins is to find a patch of wild huckleberries.
            Some years ago my friend Carol introduced […]

Crissy Field, San Francisco

Filed under: Hiking Descriptions — November 24, 2007 @ 12:50 pm

Length of hike: 1.3 miles from East Beach to Torpedo Wharf
Difficulty: Easy
Best time: Any clear day
Highlights: Bay, bridge, city—what more could you want?
To get there: If you are already in San Francisco, take Marina Boulevard toward the Golden Gate Bridge. At the west end of the Marina Green, bear right on Mason Street into the […]

The Winds of Tomales Point

Filed under: Hiking Descriptions — November 24, 2007 @ 12:39 pm

Length: 9.4 miles round-trip, out and back (four to five hours).
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best season: You choose: Late summer is elk mating season, but the hills look desolate from the summer drought. Winter and early spring offer a greener, less stark landscape. Wildflowers are abundant in June.
Highlights: The great views and bird watching where the Pacific Ocean […]