A book of stories, essays, anecdotes, and observations from a Central Coast journalist who chronicled the stories of all kinds of folks from all walks of life is now available from publisher CC Imprint in hardback, paperback, and as an e-book.
King Harris, a native Californian raised in the country town of Woodside and the city of San Francisco, died last year after a lifetime covering the people and news of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Monterey counties. Among other media gigs, he worked as a reporter, editor, and news director for KMST-TV in Monterey, KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara, KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, and KSBY-TV, KVEC-AM, New Times, and Tolosa Press in San Luis Obispo.
It’s Good To Be King includes stories of celebrities and everyday people that Harris encountered during his four decades in journalism, but the 304-page book also explores his family roots as a fifth-generation Californian, his lifelong interest in rock ‘n’ roll music, and his experiences and views on war, having served as a U.S. Navy Defense Language Instructor in Vietnam. He completed compiling and editing some of the many columns he wrote for Tolosa Press shortly before his death in June 2022 at the age of 75.
In the book’s 11 chapters containing 90 different essays, Harris reflects on (among many other topics) how he got his name, the power of the press, Yuletide tunes, his friendships with “Two Tall Ones” in Santa Barbara (Fess Parker and Julia Child), and even a certain former vice-presidential nominee who is assailed by two Alaskan moose in a trio of funny fables.
It’s Good To Be King (CC Imprint, 2023) by King Harris is available now in hardback and as an e-book from Amazon.com and other online booksellers, and is available in paperback from his website, ItsGoodToBeKingHarris.com.