Memories of columnist Caen
Thank you so much for the article on Herb Caen and the interchange with his vast array of correspondents (“The Caen connection,” Oct. 14). I really enjoyed his column for years, be it name-phreaks or specific tales, such as the doughnut blowup at URS Engineers in San Mateo (c. 1982).
However, his anecdote that may have touched me the most occurred around July 1990. I had taken the morning off from work to finish harvesting apricots from the mature tree in my backyard. Of course, the last of the crop was near the very top of the tree and getting them was quite a stretch for me, even at 6 feet 3¾ inches tall. I managed to get them from the very top of the tree without quite falling, then rewarded myself with a walk to the shopping center for a cup of coffee and a Chronicle.
Opening to Caen’s column, I read a tale that really struck me: Herb extended best wishes to a friend, age 75, who was recovering in a hospital, having fallen out of his apricot tree while trying to reach the fruit at the very top! As a kid of 42, I figured I had 33 more years before I likewise fell out of my tree and broke a leg. Twenty plus years later: So far so good.
Bob Benson, Lafayette
A high school friend used to urge me to read The Chron. I didn’t pick up the habit until I started at San Francisco State in 1967. One day, while reading Herb Caen’s column, I observed how often his wonderful, witty items flowed. He opened a column, made a point and then deftly strung his items together, one setting up the next item and so on. The final item had a reference to the point he made in the opening. He was a masterful writer, and he did it every day!
I worked as a phone installer in the Financial District for 15 years. When I saw Herb, he was always friendly and approachable. As a fourth-generation San Francisco native, I decided it was a goal to get my name in his column. He printed a couple of my items. When his assistant, Carole Vernier, called to clarify a fact on one of my submissions, I whined, “You print my items but you don’t give me credit!” My name appeared with that item.
(The irony: My name was in a Monday, July 3, column. Tuesday was the holiday. Nobody was in town. Nobody saw it — but I accomplished my goal!)
Diane Flynn, San Bruno
Geez, I wish I had known you were going to do that piece on Herb Caen. I saved clippings from the columns I got into as well as the thank-you (rejection) letters. I also went to celebrations of his memory at Moose’s and took home a life-size, full-color cardboard cutout of Herb.
Rick Bradley, Lincoln, Placer County