My father is moving into his elder years. Well, he’s firmly arrived in his elder years. He doesn’t travel anymore and does less and less public appearances. I got a call from him recently saying, hey, I was asked to read a poem that’s going to be installed in an exhibition at the Botanical Garden and I told them you’d read it for me.

This is new, I thought.

More and more, I’m getting involved in writing contracts, payments, and now events on my father’s behalf. I have friends with parents or grandparents who have a great legacy and they commit time and energy into caretaking the creative and intellectual creations of these relatives.

Am I next?

This is certainly an adventure I never anticipated, never once thought about, but time moves on and we change in abilities and station. Our own relationship to our work shifts—and apparently, so does the relationship to the work of our parents.

My father is very proud of the fact that we are both writers. He used my art on the cover of his recent short story collection. And he included an interview with us talking about writing. He has a legacy with me as well, lol.

He has been a huge supporter of my work and an early encourager for me to get my work published. He was an early editor as well as I was finding my feet as a writer. I guess this is all to say I am grateful to have had his guiding hand. As I often bemoaned his absences as he traveled the city, the country and the world as an activist and author, music manager and journalist, I have benefitted so much from his rich knowledge and community.

So this is a salute to him as I take on new duties as his daughter. Duties that I am proud to perform.

Onward,