Mineral King, California
Sawtooth Peak, East side                      Sawtooth Peak, West side

My name is Bill Becker, and I live in rural California.

This site is named in honor of Ivan Karamazov, my alter ego. To get an idea of what that means, you must read two chapters in The Brothers Karamazov:   Rebellion, followed immediately by The Grand Inquisitor. (This is a PDF file, which requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download the reader.)

Ivan's Place is dedicated to all of the beautiful and loving people with whom I have worked in the peace and justice movement over the years. They have been my inspiration, and whatever strength and stamina I have been able to muster, I owe largely to them. I am deeply, profoundly, inexpressibly grateful for their being in the world.     Nevertheless, I tried:

Those who work for peace with justice "the public form of love" as it has been called more than speak the truth. Whether known or obscure they are themselves refutations of the lies of the violent (many have paid the ultimate price). And so, my friend even when we first meet do we not surely know each other after only a few words are spoken? Your being there gives me hope less than helps me to know that not yet do I need to feel completely alone.

Unless otherwise designated, all photographs on this website are mine. All others were taken with my camera(s) and my film, and I took all the pictures except those with me in them.