David Solbach

David Solbach's story begins as a Kansas farm boy, a third-generation son of German immigrants, growing up in the America of Eisenhower, black-and-white television, and racial and sexual prejudice so ubiquitous, so much a part of the woodwork, that most white citizens, especially men, were scarcely aware of it. It was a reality he gradually came to understand as he matured through small-town fisticuffs and clarinet lessons and came of age in 1960 as the first member of his family to attend college.

Dubbed the "teenage gadfly" of his music department, David transferred after his freshman year into what he found to be more interesting fields: psychology, English, philosophy, and history. He graduated with a degree in English that would be necessary for no job he would ever hold, though it proved useful in several.

He settled in San Francisco, doing menial jobs to support his dream of becoming a writer amid a Beat culture transforming into a Hippie revolution, replacing the old salvation ethic with a self-realization ethic. Along the way, he challenged many of the assumptions he had grown up with and embarked on a lifelong journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and exploration.

For a couple of years, David put on a suit and tie and traveled colleges for publishing companies. He used those experiences as the basis for his first novel. When the book was rejected for reasons he agreed with, he changed direction and learned carpentry.

He bought and remodeled dilapidated properties and, in a decade as an urban pioneer, worked his way up to owning a house in San Francisco. He rented out rooms and drove a taxi for several decades, meeting people from all walks of life and gathering stories along the way.

In his early forties, David bought himself a clarinet, started a Celtic fusion band, returned to the study of music, and became a competent jazz musician. Later, he returned to writing, eventually rewriting that first unsuccessful novel.

Now retired and supported by the fruits of his real estate investments, David has completed several novels, books of poetry, and memoir projects. His work reflects a lifetime of curiosity, creativity, reinvention, and a willingness to question both himself and the world around him.