The author, on Penny Lane's obsession:
Penny Lane is obsessed with balls, but really anything I can throw. When we take our morning walk in Central Park she insists I throw the ball pretty much the whole time. Last fall I was watching a World Series game on television with Penny Lane. I think I threw the ball during that game more times than all the pitchers for the Yankees and Dodgers...[read on]About Mitchell's new book Three Years Our Mayor, from the publisher:
Those who recognize Mayor George Moscone’s name may think of him as the career politician who was assassinated along with Harvey Milk, but there was much more to this influential and fascinating man’s story. He was a trailblazing progressive and powerful state legislator who was instrumental in passing legislation on issues ranging from LGBT rights to funding for school lunches. Moscone’s 1975 campaign for mayor was historically significant because it was the first time a major race was won by a candidate who campaigned aggressively for expanding civil rights for both African Americans and LGBT people. He won his campaign for mayor chiefly because of huge support from those two constituencies.Visit Lincoln Mitchell's website.
Moscone was also a very colorful character who, in addition to being a successful politician, was a charming and charismatic bon vivant who was deeply embedded inthe fabric and culture of San Francisco. He grew up the only son of a single mother in Cow Hollow when it was a working class, largely Italian American neighborhood, and he became the kind of politician who knew bartenders, playground attendants, small business owners, and neighborhood activists in every corner of the city. Moscone’s life and the history of San Francisco during the middle half of the twentieth century are deeply intertwined.
Through illustrating the life of Moscone, author Lincoln A. Mitchell explores how today’s San Francisco came into being. Moscone—through his work in the State Senate, victory in the very divisive 1975 mayor’s race, and brief tenure as mayor—was a key figure in the city’s evolution. The politics surrounding Moscone’s election as mayor, governance of the city, and tragic death are still relevant issues. Moscone was a groundbreaking politician whose life was cut short, but his influence on San Francisco can still be felt today.
Coffee with a Canine: Lincoln Mitchell & Isis.
The Page 99 Test: San Francisco Year Zero.
The Page 99 Test: The Giants and Their City.
The Page 99 Test: Three Years Our Mayor.
Writers Read: Lincoln A. Mitchell.
My Book, The Movie: Three Years Our Mayor.
Coffee with a Canine: Lincoln Mitchell and Penny Lane.
--Marshal Zeringue