Girandole Books has suffered a grievous loss. Herb passed away from Covid on January 13. We cannot imagine how he contracted the disease. He wore a mask religiously and went nowhere except to a little market and the post office across the street. We were virtually in voluntary quarantine.

He left a remarkable legacy, not only with his writing, but with his paintings, for he was an artist as well as a writer. His life-long ambition was that all his books be published. He didn’t really mind if no one read them; he just wanted them under separate cover. I am happy to say that his ambition is going to be fulfilled, for his last book, Mary, Me, and History is now in the hands of the book designer. It is a memoir showing how our personal history intersected with the broad social movements of the day. It will be awhile before it is available because Covid has interfered with our work as it has with everybody else’s.

Girandole Books is still a family affair, but sadly Herb, while still part of our family, is no longer around to share his ideas. I miss him terribly. January 29 would have been our 66th wedding anniversary.