Jon Kinyon

How My First Book Came To Be Note: It was not easy

New story up on Substack, if you're at all interested.

Daredevil With a Death Wish My friend rode like a bat out of Hell

Another nonfiction short story.

A Conspiracy of Goodwill From rags to pilfered riches

This story is gettin' popular.

The Killer in the Slow Lane Things that go bump in the night

New short story posted today on Substack... nonfiction.

Not long I bet.

The first time I saw this old 1966 pic, I thought it was a truckload of hippies on the way to a free concert (this was a common sight back then). But these are the animatronic characters for “Pirates of the Caribbean” heading to Disneyland - still the greatest attraction there.

Ollie Johnston: The Palo Alto Animator Who Brought Disney to Life One of the most famous graduates of Palo Alto High School

Another new piece I penned, published today.

I Have The Answer To Everything Take a dive with me into the deep end of the pool

Here's a new story, a little outside my wheelhouse, but I needed to share it.

How to Start Your Own Record Company for Under $2,000 Or "How to Lose Friends and Make Enemies"

There's a character limit here on bsky, so this 3,000 word story is on my Substack. 😜

The Angry Angel of Chinatown Descends Donaldina Cameron came to Palo Alto in 1900 to rescue a slave girl

LISTEN FOR FREE: This story of San Francisco's Donaldina Cameron freeing a Chinese girl from her ruthless slave master is inspiring. Corrupt judges, lawmen, and lawyers were no match for Cameron who raised an outcry among Palo Alto citizens, Stanford students, and 1000s in neighboring towns in 1900.

A letter sent to my 3rd great-grandfather from his cousin in 1837 “There is a great deal of murdering a going on…”

This letter is penned in beautiful cursive handwriting. I'd love to scan it, but I'm afraid to unfold the 187-year-old paper. My grandpa transposed it in the 1920s, a hundred years ago(!), and kept the original spelling and punctuation. The letter gives amazing insight into pioneer life in America.

The Dead Guy on the Sidewalk Just another Tuesday in the big city

It happened in San Francisco in 2022.

"Puddle" by M. C. Escher
A woodcut print, first printed in February 1952.

BIG ENDORSEMENT NEWS! Dr. Brett M. Decker, former WSJ & NYT editor/writer and New York Times bestselling author, recommends "San Francisco's Hottest Cold Case"!

Avail. on Amazon: a.co/d/c83bnAd