Who's Who: Retired Professor Enjoys Reading and Poker

Name: Terry Wilson

Age: 69

Occupation: Retired professor from U.C., Berkeley and former chair of the Native American Studies Program there

What brings you to today? My wife and I are going to Las Vegas very early Wednesday morning, and I want the mail held. It's a family tradition for about seven years now. My wife likes to shop in Las Vegas and Henderson, and I get to play poker. (My grandfather taught me how to play poker when I was a boy.) We'll also take our hiking shoes to Las Vegas; we'll go out to Red Rock Conservancy.

What is your family heritage? My family's mostly of Potawatomi descent. I was born on a reservation in northeast Kansas. My mother was French-Canadian; my father was full-blooded Potawatomi. My wife is African-American.

Do you have any plans for the December and January holidays? We'll probably be here. My wife grew up in Richmond; we'll see her family. My son is in Marin; we'll see him, too.

How long have you lived in Albany? About 20 years.

What are you reading these days? My Iranian neighbor's memoirs. He's a year older than I, and he escaped the Shah's regime on horseback. Unfortunately, English is about his fifth language; that's why I'm helping him.

I never stop reading; I even take a book with me to the poker table.

Do you have any thoughts about New Year's resolutions? I have managed to break every single one I've made. I'm writing a novel, semi-autobiographical – I make myself look a lot nicer than I actually am. I did one thing right: I got married to my wife!