Uli'uli Masina (Black Moon)

A raunchy sea story in which the hero, a medical doctor, cum solo sailor is holed up in Pago Pago aboard his ketch, CyberSpace, when he encounters a Samoan tristes tropiques, a face-off with “bush” doctors and pesky “spirits.”

A spirit, half crone, half sexy virgin spooks him.  The possession takes him to a near death experience.  He goes into the heart of darkness and learns that love and laughter prevail.

Vivid characters reveal their wisdom in curious tribal incidents.  As does Belle, the affectionate and enthusiastic spiritual seeking companion.  She takes command and drives the story to a satisfying ending.

It is an engrossing story of Anfechtungen, a fit of spiritual turmoil.

Joanne Kyger, Bolinas poet, wrote this review.

 “I love the book.  It has a succinct, easy line to read.  The language is lively, active and your own eternal love for the pun.  Which makes the ‘Hero’ a particular fellow.  Most unique.  Healing.  Revealing.  Shamanistic.  I like the way you just jump into the story.  And the happy ending, romantic.  The characters are all very ‘real.’  As is Mariah and the very talented cat in a state of Samadhi.  But Victor is the most original character I’ve met in a long time.”

John Whinham Doss, physician, photographer, poetaster, digiimagist, and geezer with an attitude was the first born of twins raised in the suburbs to the west of Chicago.  Doctor John is a veteran of WWII having served in the United States Maritime Service as a Purser/Pharmacist Mate.  ‘Frisco’ was his homeport and his first voyage was a circumnavigation of the earth.  When hostilities ceased he was in Naha Harbor, Okinawa, Japan.

Upon return to the states John attended Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and graduated with an M.D.  His postgraduate training was as an epidemiologist with the Epidemic Intelligence Service [EIS] at the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] in Atlanta Georgia.

After fifteen years of pediatric practice in San Francisco Dr. John attended the University of California at Berkeley and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health [MPH].  He worked as a clinician at the City Clinics of San Francisco’s Health Department diagnosing, treating, and tracking down sexually transmitted diseases.  Dr. John went on to work for the World Health Organization’s Small Pox Eradication Program in India and Bangladesh, and also served as Director of Maternal and Child Health in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Returning again to the states, Dr. John was a Primary Care Physician in Chinatown, San Francisco and served with the North East Medical Services, ON LOK Senior Health Services, and the Indochinese Refugee Medical Screening Program.

 John’s Poetastery has appeared in On the Mesa, an Anthology of Bolinas writing, City Light Lights Books.  His many geezer rants about village life have appeared in the Bolinas Hearsay News.

Under the nom de lens of D’Argent Calli, John has published photography in Pacific Discovery, Oceans, and The San Francisco Chronicle and in the numerous walking books, such as San Francisco at Your Feet, written by his late wife, Margot Patterson Doss.

 Photography of poets has been published in Tricycle, The Buddhist Review; Big Sky Mind, Buddhism and the Beat Generation; I Remain, the letters of Lew Welch; The Paper Propeller, by Arthur Okamura; and Hey Lew [a festschrift for Lew Welch by Magda Cregg et al.]

John currently resides in Marin County, California.