NSP Blog Categories

Astoria

January 23, 2018

January Meditations Overlooking Youngs’ Bay

Weyerhaeuser clearcuts in the Spring of 2004. Oregon Coast Range foothills.

November 4, 2017

Topless to the Clearcut

August 19, 2017

Meditations Overlooking Youngs Bay 2

August 17, 2017

Meditations Overlooking Youngs Bay

cannedcorn

June 12, 2017

What I Miss About Teaching

chilltank

June 1, 2017

The Chill Tank or My Ten Days on the Boat in Jail

brownsmead1

April 21, 2017

Brownsmead Dreaming

tspcletter

April 9, 2017

On the End of My Classroom Teaching Career

hummingbird

April 6, 2017

Hummingbird Healing

Bonnie and Clyde Files

bcbooks5

May 2, 2019

Bonnie and Clyde Files Launch (4)

bcboxes

May 1, 2019

Bonnie and Clyde Files Launch (3)

bcstout

April 30, 2019

Bonnie and Clyde Files Launch (2)

The Bonnie & Clyde Files.

April 29, 2019

The Bonnie and Clyde Files Launch (1)

November 5, 2018

A Great Dog Notion

sevenyearstibet

August 6, 2018

Dogs Raining (Reigning) in My Mind Part 13

August 2, 2018

Dog Sanctuary Ruminations

antennna

May 25, 2018

Sanctuary Back Yard Musings

May 22, 2018

Letter to Clyde

May 7, 2018

A Walk With Bonnie

Coos Bay

February 10, 2026

Empire Strikes Back

flag

January 17, 2026

Morgan from New Zealand

hamlet

January 12, 2026

Empire Meditations

landscspe

January 5, 2026

Herschel and the Impressionist Sunrise

church

December 29, 2025

Coos Bay Memorial and Celebration

mural

December 24, 2025

Empire Christmas

tree

December 8, 2025

Empire Christmas Tree Lighting

clover

November 20, 2025

Crimson and Clover

metallica

October 16, 2025

Recent Scenes of Homelessness Around Coos Bay

elmercontemplationn

October 13, 2025

Contemplations of a Dog

Corona Virus Thoughts

keith

February 1, 2021

Corona Virus Thoughts #21

game

December 18, 2020

Corona Virus Thoughts #20

pea

November 16, 2020

Corona Virus Thoughts #19

jack

November 3, 2020

Corona Virus Election Thoughts

icesmash

October 26, 2020

Corona Virus Thoughts #18

trump

October 9, 2020

Corona Virus Thoughts #17

economist

October 2, 2020

Corona Virus Thoughts #16

September 29, 2020

An Essay on America (Part 2)

gore

September 28, 2020

An Essay on America (Part 1)

corona15

September 25, 2020

Corona Virus Thoughts #15

Driftwood Forts

forttmattthinking

August 30, 2020

A Stroll Through My Forts

IMG_20200801_111909769 (2)

August 11, 2020

Fort Fire

forttmattthinking

August 10, 2020

Some Fort Meditations

IMG_20200429_123526056 (2)

April 30, 2020

Roasting Cans and Bottles

IMG_20200404_103134654 (2)

April 16, 2020

Fortitude

IMG_20200103_083225862

January 7, 2020

Fort Questions

fortsober2

December 12, 2019

Fort Sober

IMG_20191110_082208679

November 12, 2019

Three Fort Haiku Sunday

IMG_20190926_082658715 (2)

October 1, 2019

A Fort Fight

kelpfort

September 10, 2019

Fort Kelp

Fiction

steve6

March 3, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 6)

steve5

March 1, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 5)

steve4

February 27, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 4)

steve3

February 24, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 3)

steve2

February 22, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 2)

steve1

February 20, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 1)

football5

January 11, 2023

The Short History of an Oregon Seventh Grade Football Season (Part 5)

football4

January 9, 2023

The Short History of an Oregon Seventh Grade Football Season (Part 4)

football3

January 6, 2023

The Short History of an Oregon Seventh Grade Football Season (Part 3)

football2

January 4, 2023

The Short History of an Oregon Seventh Grade Football Season (Part 2)

Lost and Found

limpetssnow

May 5, 2017

Lost and Found 8 / Jobs

armyman

April 20, 2017

Lost and Found 7 / Losing Friends, Finding Friends

sonny2

April 17, 2017

Lost and Found 6 / Back and Forth

chairdriftwood

April 12, 2017

Lost and Found 5 / The Parable of the Lost Sheep

momk

April 10, 2017

Lost and Found 4 / Improvisation with Monk and Coffee

manrv1

April 4, 2017

Lost and Found 3 / Drifting the Oregon Coast with Bob Dylan

bridges1 061

March 26, 2017

Lost and Found 2: Rescuing Dogs, Reality and Metaphor

fieldguidetolost

March 25, 2017

Lost and Found in Our Lives; the Beginning of My Journey

NSP Correspondents

baldwin

October 23, 2018

On Finding James Baldwin

barrette

August 21, 2018

Artifacts Upon Artifacts–A Poem (March 2010)

November 24, 2017

The Legend of Drain Gravy Part 2

September 11, 2017

Bonnie and Clyde Files 21

1200px-Blue_Somali_kitten_age_3_months

June 24, 2017

NSP Correspondent / Matthew Sproul / Twofer

unnamed (1)

June 7, 2017

NSP Correspondent / Matthew Sproul / Cross Current

waltonneil1_gl

April 24, 2017

NSP Correspondent / The Oregon Shot / Gerry Lewin

westhorse

April 24, 2017

NSP Correspondent / Bill Hall / Oswald West and Tom McCall Meet in Heaven

i-KHtqwD8

April 24, 2017

NSP Correspondent / Earl Mohr / A Writer’s Womb

unnamed

April 24, 2017

NSP Correspondent / Matthew Sproul / GAME TODAY, 4:00 p.m.

NSP Meditations

jelly

April 27, 2026

Dead Jellyfish

Sende_rain3

April 24, 2026

When the Rainstorm Hits

clatsop

April 22, 2026

More Roses in the World

allman

April 21, 2026

Gregg Allman

April 20, 2026

Reflections on My First Year in Coos Bay

egret

April 17, 2026

The Rookery

liberty

April 14, 2026

Statue of Liberty

ashe

April 13, 2026

Ode to Arthur Ashe defeating Jimmy Connors in the 1975 Wimbledon Final

rainonecolor2

April 6, 2026

Some Lines On Rain

tree

March 30, 2026

The Apple

Of Walking in Rain

fort5

December 21, 2020

Of Walking in Winter Rain

ellison

May 13, 2020

Some Miscellaneous Thoughts in Rain

IMG_20200222_122605584 (2)

February 27, 2020

Rain Thoughts

February 24, 2020

Note from a Rain Reader

rain

January 15, 2020

Of Thinking In Rain

wrath

April 22, 2019

Rain Coffee Shop

sonneyrainfisheyebw1

April 12, 2019

Notes for a Rain Novel

rainlogtruck1

April 3, 2019

Of Thinking in Rain

loveletter

March 11, 2019

Thoughts While Driving in Rain (again)

hondo

February 26, 2019

When the Weird Turn Pro

Oregon Beaches

IMG_20241201_071526113

December 4, 2024

Orange Contrails

kelpfountain5

August 7, 2024

The End of Kelp Stories on the Oregon Coast

elemrjetty

May 27, 2024

At the Siuslaw Jetty

elmerfort

May 20, 2024

Our First Fort Together

elmerrunning

February 14, 2024

First Beach Run with Elmer

pistolfortsunday

November 22, 2023

Sunday Fort Building

pistolriverfort

May 8, 2023

Pistol River Magic

pistolriverfort2

April 1, 2021

A Last Pistol River Fort

jan30fort

January 31, 2021

The Permanent Impermanence of Driftwood Forts

footballbeach1

December 2, 2020

The Gift of a Football

Oregon Coast_History

aMcCALLcover

May 31, 2023

What Would Tom McCall Do?

fort5

May 19, 2023

Saturday Morning Homeless Report From the Southern Oregon Coast

tmc3

April 19, 2023

Henk Pander and Tom McCall (Part 2)

citadel

April 17, 2023

Henk Pander and Tom McCall (Part 1)

yuban2

March 8, 2023

Reflections on the Great Recession of 2008-09

charlesston

February 1, 2023

Scenes from Charleston, Oregon

valsetz

December 23, 2022

A Short History of Christmas in an Oregon Logging Camp

fillmoremccall2

June 29, 2022

Frank Beavers Endorsement from Tom McCall

frankhaiku

June 27, 2022

Frank Beavers’ Haiku Campaign for Governor

frankforgovernor

June 22, 2022

Frank Beavers’ Personal and Political Statement

Oregon Tavern Age

tape

September 8, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Miscellaneous

roberts

September 1, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Fog

burg

August 18, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Roseburg Camping Bitches

chairs

August 4, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Lawn Chair

hamms

July 21, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Empire Scenes

reddevil

June 23, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Red Devils

elmerburnbarrel

June 2, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Nirvana

heidy

May 27, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Coos Country

otatriangle

February 24, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Return to the Triangle Tavern

reagan

September 18, 2024

Oregon Tavern Age: Silver Dollar at Noon

Pioneer Pride

pioneerpridecover

March 28, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 19-Tennis Team II

pioneerpridecover

March 25, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 18-Tennis Team I

pioneerpridecover

March 22, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 17-Scenes

pioneerpridecover

March 22, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 16-Senior Skip Day

pioneerpridecover

March 18, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 15-Dump Run

pioneerpridecover

March 18, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 14-Journalism

pioneerpridecover

March 16, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 13-The Promenade

pioneerpridecover

March 16, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 12-Coin Flip

pioneerpridecover

March 15, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 11-Creative Writing

pioneerpridecover

March 14, 2020

Pioneer Pride: Part 10-Rum Night

Poetry

rainonecolor2

April 6, 2026

Some Lines On Rain

tree

March 30, 2026

The Apple

goldbeachrays

March 18, 2026

Woodsmoke and Wine

Hudnell_rainydays_5

March 13, 2026

A Phalanx of Rain

lake

March 11, 2026

Crater Lake Eyes

shakespeare

March 9, 2026

Poetry on the Mind

wooscut

March 4, 2026

Wood Cut

dollars

March 2, 2026

Sand Dollars

February 2, 2026

Two Crows in Love

morgan

December 10, 2025

Oregon Tavern Age: Coos at Noon

secret coast radio

poster b&w

March 31, 2020

Secret Coast Radio 16

scr logos

February 26, 2020

Secret Radio Radio 15

poster b&w

January 29, 2020

Secret Coast Radio #14

scr logos

January 22, 2020

Secret Coast Radio 13

scr logos

December 17, 2019

Secret Coast Radio #12

scr logos

November 18, 2019

Secret Coast Radio 11

scr logos

November 8, 2019

Secret Coast Radio 10

scr logos

September 27, 2019

Secret Coast Radio 9

scr logos

September 4, 2019

Secret Coast Radio 8

jimmy

August 19, 2019

Secret Coast Radio #7

Sports

football

January 24, 2024

Some Thoughts on Football

prerun

October 4, 2023

Prefontaine Memorial Run

ballfield

September 11, 2023

The Death of Little League

beaverlogo5

August 28, 2023

Oregon On My Mind (Part 5)

golf

July 12, 2023

Golf Report

golf

July 5, 2023

Golf Prep

steve6

March 3, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 6)

steve5

March 1, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 5)

steve4

February 27, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 4)

steve3

February 24, 2023

Scenes of Steve Prefontaine (Scene 3)

Writing

elmerfort

October 28, 2024

Some Thoughts On My Current Writing Life

preexceprt2

October 7, 2024

Another Excerpt from Never Stop Pre

prefinalcover

September 30, 2024

Never Stop Pre: The Enduring Inspiration of America’s Greatest Sports Legend…by Matt Love (new book out!)

Bottle Coversmaller

August 21, 2024

Thoughts on Giving Away The Old Crow Book Club to Homeless People

finaloldcrowcoversecondedition

August 9, 2024

New Second Edition Updated E-book of The Old Crow Book Club

frost

July 24, 2024

Some Thoughts on Teaching a Writing Workshop

Sonny and The Big Clean-Up Day

May 6, 2024

Sonny and the Big Clean-up Day (New e-book released)

cardboardmessage

April 9, 2024

“Responding to a Message of Heartbreak” Writing Workshop in Astoria, July 20

poverty

September 18, 2023

Poverty, By America

joy

September 4, 2023

Joy Writing Workshop in Astoria October 14

NEVER STOP PRE

The Enduring Inspiration of America's Greatest Sports Legend

Buy the Book: Print $21.99 + $5 shipping

"Never stop Pre. When he's no longer relevant in Oregon, Oregon is dead."

On May 31, 1975, Coos Bay, Oregon native Steve Prefontaine died in an automobile accident. At the time of his death, he held 14 American records in distance running.

Pre was 24 years old and already a legend in Oregon and the world of track of field.

Read More - Click here to buy the ePub or Kindle Editions

Support Meditations Blog

The Old Crow

Book Club

In December of 2020, author Matt Love moved to Portland to care for his elderly father.

Returning to the Rose City jolted Love after 23 years residing on the Oregon Coast. In the Sellwood neighborhood where he lived, Love met a homeless man named Mark. They formed a friendship over literature and the unforeseen magical discoveries in street libraries. They created The Old Crow Book Club, and yes, sometimes that involved drinking Old Crow on a sidewalk.

The club also included several other Sellwood homeless men and women cut from John Steinbeck's Cannery Row cloth.

In due course, Love learned the members' stories of homelessness and how they survived. He wondered what happened to his beloved state of Oregon and attempted to help Mark get off the streets only to run up against the seemingly futile policies to address the crisis.

Along the way, he had the best conversations about books in his life and wrote The Old Crow Book Club, where he recounts his interactions with the homeless people in his neighborhood and offers some suggestions how to alleviate what he considers the greatest man-made American humanitarian disaster of his adult life.

The Old Crow Book Club is available for purchase here and select independent bookstores in Oregon.

$15.99 + $4 Shipping

Choice Cuts

of Oregon Fiction

Choice Cuts of Oregon Fiction by Matt Love contains 20 stories, all set in Oregon. The cast of characters includes a depressed Santa Claus, Steve Prefontaine, Jack Ramsay's fast break offense, socialist squirrels, a clearcut, a dead deer, a junior high football team, a high school tennis player, a dissipated teacher, a man who evolves into a beaver, a homeless vet, a jilted preacher, a double date to a prom, rural degenerates, a wily caterer, and much more.

The publication of the collection culminates a quarter century of the author's writing about Oregon and rambling around the state.

Choice Cuts is available for purchase here, through Amazon, or select independent bookstores in Oregon.

$22.99 + $3 Shipping

The Savage

of State Street

Nestucca Spit Press is proud to present The Savage of State Street: The Thieving and Literary Lives of Smoky Epley. He is the greatest unheralded writer in Oregon history and also one of its more mediocre, colorful and persistent thieves.

In 1973, Oregon State University Press published Men in Exile: An Anthology of Creative Writing by Inmates of the Oregon State Penitentiary. Twenty-two of Smoky Epley's pieces appeared in the book.

Smoky spent most of his adult life in state and federal prisons for robbery. In 2008, during one of his brief stints of freedom, Smoky became friends with Matt Love, an Oregon author and publisher. They met after Love discovered Men in Exile and wrote a newspaper column about the landmark book. Smoky read the column and reached out.

He returned to prison in 2009 after forging a check. Upon his release in 2011, Love encouraged Smoky to write a memoir. He completed half of Auto before dying in February of 2013.

$19.99 + $3 Shipping

Sonny the husky discovers a homeless encampment destroying a creek in a Portland city park. She alerts her owner and a park ranger and inspires a community clean-up of the damaged riparian area. Neighborhood citizens and residents of the encampment join Sonny to restore a tiny part of a watershed and later celebrate their collaboration.

Buy Bundle Direct From Author (PDF & ePub Download)

Buy eBook on Amazon