By Randy Myers Themed anthologies often turn into curious failures.

By Randy Myers, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Jun. 22--The Bay Area and the nation lost one of its most respected and beloved comics advocates on May 19. Rory Root, owner of Berkeley's influential Comic Relief store, died during surgery.

By Randy Myers, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Jun. 18--A Concord man emotionally recounts how he felt when his son became his daughter. A former Albany woman digs through numerous photos and letters while trying to figure out if her great-grandmother had a lesbian lover.

By Randy Myers, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif. Mar. 21--Like it or not, we are presently tangled in a nationwide web of misery. The economy is tanking, an unpopular war rages on, and teachers are getting handed pink slips.

By Randy Myers St. Mary's College professor Barry Eckhouse leaves no paper trail. In fact, he uses no paper at all. The tech-smart educator's thoroughly modern approach to instruction scraps traditional higher education tools such as No. 2 pencils and the error-seeking red pen.