The Last Ones to Let You Down

The front of the Hall house in St. Peter looks almost exactly the same as it did when Camilla lived there. There had been some window boxes at that time. The Camilla Hall book has brought about all sorts of connections. I’ve heard from a lot of people since the book was published who have some connection to Camilla and the Halls. Today I went to St. Peter to visit the house that Camilla grew up…

https://rachaelhanel.wordpress.com/2023/05/17/may-17-1974-camilla-is-killed/

A screenshot from surveillance video. Camilla is in the front, Donald DeFreeze to the left, and Patty Hearst on the right. Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Hibernia Bank robbery in San Francisco, committed by the Symbionese Liberation Army. The robbery was one of the SLA’s most publicized actions, primarily because kidnap victim Patty Hearst was shown on surveillance tape wielding an…

This is still one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite writers. For International Women’s Day: Anais Nin, 1974

Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of the Patty Hearst kidnapping by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. I had expected to see a flood of media attention, and I did. Pieces in the San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post, along with a story by the Associated Press that was picked up by outlets nationally and worldwide, too, I assume. It never took an anniversary for people to talk…

I’m so excited that Nicollet County Historical Society has agreed to host an exhibit of Camilla Hall’s artwork starting on March 24, which coincidentally is Camilla’s 79th birthday. This year is a big year–we are marking the 50th anniversary of major Symbionese Liberation Army actions, such as the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, the Hibernia Bank robbery, and the killings of six SLA members,…

If you need general information about the SLA, here you go

Every summer brings with it a new set of obsessions. Summer is the time to explore, relax, and just let things fall where they may. Here are a few things that captured my attention this summer (in no particular order): Wild raspberries. I spent quite a bit of time in Duluth this summer and found a ton of raspberry bushes in the woods. The last couple of times I’ve been able to pick a pint at a…

Can you not imagine a lot of writing going on here? Just look at those decks!! I am offering a guided writing retreat Nov. 3-5, 2023. I primarily work with memoirists and other nonfiction writers, but all genres are welcome. The house is about 5 miles north of Duluth, Minnesota. It is a quiet space in the woods–very inspirational! I am limiting the retreat to 10 people. It’s a large house so…

Officers at the scene of the SLA hideout on May 17, 1974. (This was originally published on May 17, 2021) On May 17, 1974, more than 400 police officers surrounded a house at 1466 E. 54th St. in south-central Los Angeles. Inside the house were members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. The SLA had eluded authorities for four months. They were highly sought after because of two high-profile…

Culver’s has the best salads. 7-ish: Yoga/meditation/prayer/manifesting.  8-10: Breakfast, work, put away dishes, start laundry.  10-11: Get ready. Shower, hair, makeup, pack lunch and evening snacks. 11-12: Commute to Shakopee. Listen to Lolita podcast. Eat small lunch in car. 12:30-3: Teach. 3:15-3:35: Time for a short walk!  3:35-4:25: Get a tea. Drive to Culver’s. Eat early dinner.…

How does one come up with ideas for what to write about? I’m in an odd place right now. Since 1999, I’ve always had a book project on the table. That was the year I came across Camilla, and the book was published last December (do the math—that’s a long time to be working on a book!). In that span, I wrote a published a memoir (started that in 2000 and it was published in 2013). Now what? I ask…

I enjoyed reading this New York Post article on the legacy of educator Marcus Foster and lessons from him we can apply to today’s schools. In my years of research on the Symbionese Liberation Army, I learned a lot about Marcus Foster. The SLA murdered Foster, their first killing, on Nov. 6, 1973. The subject of my book, Camilla Hall, joined the SLA some time around Dec. 31 of that year. She was…

I am so excited to read this book. As soon as I read the short description I knew I had to get it as soon as possible. I wonder why I focus so much on my failures rather than my successes. My successes make me very happy, of course, but my lows are much lower than my highs are high, if that makes sense. It’s like success has just a very brief flash, while my failures linger on my mind for a long…

Why do I write?

I’ve not thought much about this before besides the obvious — I’ve always liked words, I’ve always liked to read, writing came naturally to me, etc. But in doing some reflection this morning, I discovered another reason: it’s orderly. Words organize thoughts and feelings. They organize a life. It’s hard for me to know what to think or how to feel if words are jumbled up in my head. Getting them…

A more complete story

This article struck me today, mainly because I feel these are things that could have been said by Camilla’s family and friends had she lived and faced prison time. The crux of my book, Not the Camilla We Knew: One Woman’s Path from Small-Town America to the Symbionese Liberation Army, is to highlight Camilla’s humanity and discover some reasons that may have led her down the path to…