Article Archives: Words with Woods

The New Wave

September 17, 2020 | by CJ Woods III

A woman was walking south down the sidewalk on the same side that I was. I saw her early in my strides northward, and when she was about a half-block away, reassured her quietly, murmuring under my breath, “Don’t worry; I’m getting into the street.” I did so, and as … Read More

A Birthday

September 10, 2020 | by CJ Woods III

A reader of this paper is also a friend on a social networking site. Recently,  the reader commented on a video I had posted of me and my granddaughter, making pancakes. Imani used to love making that breakfast food with me, and I would play a song, “Pancakes,” as we … Read More

Clop

September 3, 2020 | by CJ Woods III

My oldest daughter told me that she heard her biological clock ticking and I told her that I was too young and cool to be called Grampa. In the tradition of my family — a tradition started by my sister — I came up with my own grandparent name: “Cool … Read More

Slingin’ Papers

August 27, 2020 | by CJ Woods III

When I was 10 years old, my older cousin was looking for someone to take over his paper route. The papers he distributed were to subscribers of The Pittsburgh Courier, a newspaper whose target audience was the African American community, and which was published once a week, on Thursday. Billy … Read More

The Sweet Sound

August 20, 2020 | by CJ Woods III

An episode of a TV series that I enjoy had a moment where two of the principals met in a tavern; a joyous overlay of the conversation that moved the plot line was the sweet sound of billiard balls being struck. I miss that sound. I was a pool player … Read More