CJ Woods III’s Story Archive

My Left Sock

January 19, 2023 | by CJ Woods III

My morning sifting of socks turned up a pair that I judged to be suited for my entrance into the world. Many men make sock choosing simple by stocking up on black, brown, or gray. For athletic wear, they like white socks, and they just can’t lie. But I am … Read More

Imagination

January 12, 2023 | by CJ Woods III

“Clop: What is he imagining?” My four-year-old granddaughter handed me a card she had found in the debris of my house. The card depicted a man on a roof, holding a shovel; the man was looking at clods of reindeer excrement. In the original card, which I had designed for … Read More

Jump, Hop and Pop

January 5, 2023 | by CJ Woods III

When I visited three friends in Ohio, I stayed overnight with one of them, helping her to unpack her storage pod and move into her new house. That evening, she told me to hop into the shower; I declined, stating that I was a “morning shower” person. I did not … Read More

Oh, Holy Night

December 22, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

This column first appeared in Dec. 2018 Two friends became lovers and started a journey together in July 1969, and in September 1970, after travelling thousands of miles from their homes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, nestled into another home in Los Angeles, California. There, they sought to bring the man’s dreams … Read More

Trains of Thought

December 15, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

The Eiteljorg Museum invited media members to a preview of “Jingle Rails,” its annual exhibit of miniature railroad trains. Paula Nicewanger, the Creative Director of this publication, invited me to attend with her, knowing my history with trains. When I lived within a few blocks of the train tracks that … Read More