I just returned from L.A., where I attended a session of the Comedian’s Way workshop with Beth Lapides & Greg Miller. While there, I stayed at the Farmer’s Daughter Hotel on Fairfax Avenue, and I spent a lot of time walking up and down the street, exploring. I’m fascinated by Fairfax, since my dad went to Fairfax High School when his Jewish Hungarian immigrant family moved to Hollywood in the 1950s. 
Carrying my camera and notebook, I realized I was seeking unconsciously to document this place that plays such a significant role in my family’s lore, this place where my dad grew into an American teenager.
One afternoon, I walked all the way from the Farmer’s Daughter to Fairfax High School, taking photos of the CBS Studio, a bird of paradise flower, workers on a roof, a kosher bakery, Canter’s Deli: everything I saw.
On Fairfax Ave.
I’m not sure what, if anything, I learned about my father and his teenage years by doing this. After all, that was over 50 years ago. But I learned something about Fairfax now, about how it’s a bustling, multi-ethnic, always-evolving place. And that was enough.
I realized, as I did this, how there really isn’t a divide in my life between family and public history, between doing memoir work and doing journalism.
I’m always both a memoirist and a journalist. It’s just what I do.
CBS studio on Fairfax.
Bird of Paradise on Fairfax.
Workers on Fairfax.
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Fairfax High School
I went to Los Angeles High School and had lots of friends at Fairfax. We use to go to Cantors and shop at the different Kosher stores in the neighborhood. Fairfax High has played an important part of the community and still does. It is a magnet school and intelligent kids from all over attend as well as locals. Fairfax was the first to have gay and lesbian counselors to help with the young gay and lesbians and has made it confortable to be gay and or lesbian at school. Go Fairfax, stay ahead of the game!!!!!!
Comment by nearlynormalized — October 28, 2009 @ 11:53 am
Thanks for your message! Glad to hear about the lively culture at Fairfax HS and environs.
Comment by Vivian Wagner — October 28, 2009 @ 2:42 pm
This is terrific! I love your photos! I wish I had known you were here–I live on Fairfax! What are the odds? Did you eat at Farmer’s Daughter? I’ve always wanted to try it. I love the murals.
Comment by Buffy — October 28, 2009 @ 7:16 pm
Thanks, Buffy! Yeah, and too bad I didn’t get a chance to see you while I was there — I didn’t know you live on Fairfax! I ate a couple of breakfasts at Tart at Farmer’s Daughter; it was great. Next time I’m in the neighborhood I’ll have to look you up.
Comment by Vivian Wagner — October 28, 2009 @ 9:40 pm