Oh, That Kinsey

In September, I moved to Santa Barbara, living in a converted garage downtown. Exploring my new neighborhood, I began encountering the same peculiar question in line at the grocery store, at yoga, at the park: “Kinsey — like Kinsey Millhone?” Assuming this “Kinsey” was an obscure celebrity, I’d offer the nod-and-smile one does at the mention of an obscure celebrity. Yet, I continued to hear her name each time I mentioned mine. Who was Kinsey Millhone, and why did everyone in this town seem to know her?

Peering into a little free library yesterday, Sue Grafton’s E is for Evidence peered back at me; it was time for Kinsey and me to meet.

Engrossed in reading, I was as shocked as Kinsey when she receives a knock on her door. It was an ex-husband — Daniel Wade — meaning Kinsey, at one point in time, had my exact name.

I’m sure many in the Santa Barbara community feel a personal connection with Kinsey and, by extension, the beloved author Sue Grafton. I am happy to be joining this fan base, but with possibly a closer link.

More than sharing the same name, Kinsey and I are the same height and weight to the exact number. We live in a converted one-car garage downtown; we’re often found running our three miles along Shoreline, and we (all too often) eat peanut butter and crackers for dinner.

I have yet to crack cases, solve murders, and rustle with trouble, but who knows, I only just moved here.