The Project That Started It All

Projects and ideas tracked my dad like rainbows following the ideal combination of light and showers. Sometimes he was introduced through his work as a journalist, other times he welcomed friendships that led to serendipitous adventures, or to his visions of art installations, manuscripts, photo series, or performances. He gathered information and objects into his life and unwittingly grew collections…there was no end to the number of interesting items that attracted his attention. 

My father also cultivated adventure and possibility. It was not unusual to hear him say something like the following at my childhood dinner table: 

“Would you like to stay overnight at a lighthouse in San Francisco Bay this weekend? I’m going to write about some people who are lighthouse keepers and they invited me to sleep on their island.”

Now that I’ve had some time to consider the trajectory of his life, I have a feeling I know where my dad’s original drive toward putting big ideas into motion as well as his collecting tendencies might have sprouted from. 

Winning the Autograph Lottery: As a sports-loving boy growing up in Los Angeles, California David’s nickname was Pee Wee. One bright day in 1949 found David writing two letters: one to an idol who shared the same nickname, Loren “Pee Wee” Day, the star halfback on the Northwestern University football team, and the other to the head coach of the (then) Los Angeles Rams. Both letters were a twelve-year-old’s best attempt at thoughtful and persuasive requests for autographs. 

Weeks passed and he felt hope slowly ebbing away. Then, to quote David: 

“A small package arrived from Pee Wee Day. I tore it open. To my utter, wordless, gossamer astonishment I unwrapped a blue, leatherbound autograph book filled with signatures from the entire Northwestern football team, plus all the coaches. Even Pee Wee’s mother and father had signed it. Then, a week or so later a letter arrived from the Los Angeles Rams. On a single sheet of paper addressed to me with their best wishes, all the players and coaches of the Rams had signed their names. I was absolutely delirious.” 

I couldn’t possibly begin to describe every project or collection of my dad’s as that would take up all the real estate on this blog. For now, I will share a few of my favorites.  

Capturing Bobby: One day in March 1968 my father, who was a reporter at the time, took candid photographs of Bobby Kennedy campaigning on the streets of New York City. Bobby was killed in Los Angeles three months later. I was astounded when I found these images in my father’s boxes. 

The Garbage War: It is a little-known fact that in May of 1970 there was a nine-day-long strike held by the garbagemen of New York City, (ignited by a conflict between the Mayor at that time, John Lindsay, and the Governor of New York, Nelson Rockefeller). Refuse began to accumulate in great piles on the streets. My dad had the idea to turn this fetid event into a play…” imagine the action and dialog happening on stage while piles of garbage slowly surround the actors and grow in size” he would say. 

Angela Davis Outside: In 1972 African American author, civil rights activist, and scholar Angela Davis was accused of supplying weapons that were used in a San Rafael, California courtroom shoot-out that resulted in the death of three people including a Superior Court Judge. Davis’s accusal, as well as the entire case in general, was dripping with racism and misogyny. In June 1972 Davis was acquitted of all charges and my dad was there as she exited the courtroom and spoke to people outside. In my opinion, there is much to admire about Angela Davis, including her hair. 

The Saga of Tokyo Rose: As a journalist, my father covered quite a few trials but there was one in particular that he followed for decades. Iva Toguri (aka Tokyo Rose) was a U.S. citizen (born in Los Angeles in 1914) who was stranded in Japan during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Iva was forced to renounce her U.S. citizenship and found herself stuck in Japan. She got a job as a radio announcer, broadcasting to U.S. troops stationed in Japan. She was returned to the U.S. after the war and was convicted of treason and spent six years in jail. You, like me, might be thinking WTAF? So did my father which is exactly why he wanted to write a film script about Iva’s story. President Gerald Ford finally pardoned her in 1976. 

Perhaps you are getting a sense of why I am making a film about my dad. What was initially a slideshow for his memorial service has evolved into a five-chapter film about his life. One of the chapters focuses on…you guessed it…his projects (including his art, collections, and photography). 

I will share more about the film as it comes together. Bringing my dad’s story to life on a screen feels like the best way to do justice to what was an endlessly fascinating career and life.

All of this documentation is indeed compelling, but at the end of the day, two truths remain:

His creativity knew no bounds and he was simply the best father a girl could have.