Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Tom, Purcellville, VA on May 19, 2009:

When my wife and I lived in Alameda in the mid-70s, we read Herb Caen's writings regularly and loved them. He was really a master of the word, like a minister who could deliver a whole sermon in ten minutes, Caen could make a point in a sentence or two. Great reminiscence, and a worthy tribute to a great writer....

Posted by Neil, UK on May 19, 2009:

Why did you feel the need not to use Caen's phraseology? Surely allowing someone's terminology to enter the lexicon is the greatest compliment you can pay to them for bringing the idea to your notice....

(These "Freaks of Nomenclature" frequently appear in New Scientist, incidentally, under the name of "Nominative determinism".)

---

Really? Huh! But bottom line, I just like my version of the term better. I've been using it since the 1970s, when I was first reading Caen. -rc

Posted by Gordon, Mojave Desert on May 19, 2009:

Thanks for the memories. I grew up in the desert but went to college at Humboldt State in northern coast of the state in the early/mid 80s and really enjoyed his column. I did not know much about The City but enjoyed his bit sized pieces of new and old recollections of Baghdad by the Bay. I became a three or four or five dot writer in most of my writing for enjoyment since then. Made me feel comfortable in writing that way as I was when I learned of his style in the Chron. Thanks again.

Posted by Bill, San Leandro CA on May 19, 2009:

A friend of mine knew Herb Caen and they did not like each other. When the first Iraq War began he needled Herb about why there were no more references to SF as Baghdad-by-the-Bay. Herb's reply is best expressed in his 3 dot manner, "F... you." However, I got my friend to forgive Herb and go to a bar with me to celebrate Herb's life by getting drunk on vodka (Vitamin V) martinis for 25 cents a drink, the 1938 price when he began his column.

But everyone read his column and we loved it. Herb was often quoted as far away as the Detroit News and Free Press. I was born in Detroit and always enjoyed his quotes. It was great to be able to read him daily when I moved out here.

Posted by Tom, Port Townsend, Wash. on May 19, 2009:

Herb Caen was like a God to me when I was with the Army at Presidio of S.F., then completing work for my journalism degree at Berkeley in 1953-54, following the Korean interruption. I was within a heartbeat of applying for work at the Chronicle, but returned to my first love of weekly journalism instead. My work over the years included an editorial column (for a couple of years not too far north of San Francisco). Like Herb, I'm still writing at 80 but more in book form now. Along the way I picked up somewhere on "3-dot journalism." The ellipsis is about the handiest bit of punctuation I ever ran across, with the dash not too far behind. I guess I'm sort of a "dot-dash journalism" guy. To hell with grammatical purists ... up with the ellipse--and hurrah for the dash!

Posted by Bob, South Carolina on May 19, 2009:

Herb was the first thing I read every day when I was growing up in Oakland and Piedmont. I may have gotten my writing style from him (say as much as possible in as few words as possible).

Posted by Jeff in Chino Hills, CA on May 19, 2009:

Growing up in the LA area, we had the pleasure of Caen's "kinder, gentler" counterpart, Jack Smith. The two were friendly rivals, each holding the same position at their respective major metropolitan newspapers. The only time I got to read Caen was when he was being quoted by Smith, which usually involved some good-natured tweak of his San Francisco chauvinism. I can only imagine that it was probably a two-way street.

Posted by John, Santa Clara, CA on May 19, 2009:

Loved your piece about Herb Caen. He and Arthur Hoppe taught me how to read newspapers. They provided a window outside my Sunset District neighborhood. Your material is excellent, but they were "Masters".

Posted by Laurie, central California on May 19, 2009:

Herb Caen's column is the first newspaper material I remember reading, so it's only natural that when we moved to Calaveras County I thought the statue of Mark Twain in the Angels Camp park was Herb Caen.

---

Hah! He would have loved that story! -rc

Posted by Maggie, Eugene, Oregon on May 20, 2009:

I lived in San Francisco during the 1970's. If I read nothing else in the paper, I ALWAYS read Herb's column -- had to keep up on the happenings in the City.