Palisades Remembered

We are luckier than many - currently evacuated.

We are fortunate. We were able to evacuate along with 100,000 of our fellow Angelenos and as of now we still have a home to return to. We are much more fortunate than so many of our friends who have lost their homes, their work, their sense of place (and much more). The loss is staggering and unfathomable.

My wife and I moved to the Pacific Palisades shortly after my son Sam was born: 1035 Fiske Street in the “alphabet streets” one of the centers of the devastation. Chalk paintings on the sidewalk, many stroller walks to the park for Sam and later my daughter Lucie to play where ironically the main climbing structure is/was a fire truck. Coaching my son’s t-ball team (about the limit of my baseball coaching ability). My now deceased father jumping gleefully inside a gigantic birthday bounce house. Little Dolphins day camp for Lucie in the magical Temescal Canyon. Writing my script for my first feature Cleopatra’s Second Husband at the bakery overrun with ceramic frogs. Editing the same film in the converted garage where Sam would come singing my editor’s name “Toby Toby Toby” - Toby Yates - a gentle jovial brit who passed much too early in 2023. Many trips to Village Books. Here is a video tour of what it looks like now.

These are just a sliver of our memories. Countless other people are holding onto their versions of memories created in communities hit by these fires.

Los Angeles has a unique way of connecting people. We ended up on Fiske St. through the architect Peter Cohen who is married to Patty Polinger co-founder of Vidiots (Vidiots is one of the anchors of independent film in Los Angeles - having transformed itself in Eagle Rock during the pandemic into a vibrant theater/rental house/communty hub). While we left the Palisades 20 years ago, Peter and Patty set down deep roots, building a house that they lost last week after 25 years along with thousands of other families in the Palisades and Altadena.

Angelenos and others throughout the United States have shown incredible support for those that lost their homes. One group of people who have also been devastated by the fires are the people whose places of work have been lost - many of those already struggling to make ends meet in LA. Earlier this week, while evacuated, my wife filmmaker/artist/activist Jill Goldman worked with her cousin Susie Silbert to create a fund for people who have lost their livelihoods through Susie’s charity One Voice. If you are so inclined here is the link:

Here is the recent LA Times story about the need and the program.

Some other notable support opportunities:

To donate for filmworkers and also for filmworkers to apply for funding:

Many musicians in Alta Dena and elsewhere lost their studios. As did artists.

The first night of the evacuation I had a dream: I was in our backyard and I saw 2 candles still lit from a party or guests. I blew them out. When I got to the back door I turned around and I saw our little dachshund, Daisy, who died tragically December 30th - after seventeen amazing years. But I could tell from her curly black fur that she was a puppy - she ran over to me and jumped up. Los Angeles will be reborn - and my hope it will be as soulfull and vibrant as it always has been.

Note: My work on this Substack should resume in the next few weeks.