JOHN CAGE
1979
Bad December, including week in hospital just before Christmas for exhaustion. The usual tests; no new discoveries. Am now on oxygen all night, with portable machine for daytime use. Spent New Year’s Eve with K.H. and children at hotel in Death Valley, vast expanse of nothing that has less of anything than any tourist resort in the world—less water (indeed, no water at all), fewer flora and fauna (unless you count the coyote and the kangaroo rat), fewer hotels and buildings of interest (e.g. handful of very vestigial ghost towns and the unimpressive pseudo-Spanish mansion called Death Valley Scotty’s Castle), less of everything attractive to the civilised mind except heat, of which there is far too much (the average summer temperature is around 120 degrees F). We drive back through ghastly company towns run by chemical firms and by the US navy’s weapons research department. Death Valley is minimal tourism, a gigantic natural monument to the theory that less is more. Query: Why is it that all man-made objects in the States—especially cars, trains, aircraft and modern buildings—look like outsize toys?
KENNETH TYNAN
JANUARY 4
1928
It is precisely a week ago that we suffered a fright with Miguelito. He was crossing the street nearby when he was hit by a car. Even though it was not serious, it wasn’t without consequences, for the car passed over him and dragged him a good stretch. It seems that perhaps he will come out of it with only slight bruises and contusions that have kept him in bed for a couple of days. He now gets around with a bit of a limp, somewhat like don Cuco.
Lola did go through a terrible ordeal. Since I wasn’t there when it all happened, she went out to see what was going on and there she found only his shoes and was told that her boy had been carried away dead and had been taken to the hospital. And so she returned with his shoes in hand and with her heart in pieces. We immediately telephoned to find out which hospital they had taken him to so we could go see him when a man arrived with him very much alive.
DOLORES VENEGAS, to her family
1928
I wish I could see you. It has been many years since we saw each other. We are very happy because dad has a store….[W]hen I was going to buy tortillas I was struck by a car that dragged me about 10 blocks. My dad is thinking how we can return and be together again with my aunt Anita and with all of you.
JOSÉ MIGUEL VENEGAS, to his family
1985
I can’t make the city what I want it to be. And I can’t stop wishing it were something else. I cannot. Nor have I ever really accepted it.
So, San Francisco again emerges as the compromise?
But no, that’s not really where my thoughts are going….
For now, I feel homeless. Not here inside my room, but almost everywhere else in the city. I feel like a tourist. Not a resident. But I have all of these déjà-vus.
AARON PALEY
JANUARY 5
1776
The converted Indians of this mission…appear to be gentle, friendly and of good hearts. The men are of medium stature, the women being somewhat smaller, round-faced, flat-faced, and rather ugly. The costume of the men in heathendom is total nakedness, while the women wear a bit of deer skin with which they cover themselves, and likewise an occasional cloak of beaver or rabbit skin, although the fathers endeavor to clothe the converted Indians with something as best they can.
The method which the fathers observe in the conversion is not to oblige anyone to become a Christian, admitting only those who voluntarily offer themselves, and this they do in the following manner: Since these Indians are accustomed to live in the fields and the hills like beasts, the fathers require that if they wish to be Christians they shall no longer go to the forest, but must live in the mission, and if they leave the Ranchería, as they call the little village of huts and houses of the Indians, they will go to seek them and will punish them. With this they begin to catechize the heathen who voluntarily come, teaching them to make the sign of the cross and other things necessary, and if they persevere in the catechism for two or three months and in the same frame of mind, when they are instructed they proceed to baptise them.
If any Indian wishes to go to the mountain to see his relatives or to hunt acorns, they give him permission for a specified number of days. As a rule they do not fail to return, and sometimes they come bringing some heathen relative, who remains for the catechism, either through the example of the others or attracted by the pozole, which they like better than their herbs and the foods of the mountain; and so these Indians are usually caught by the mouth.
FATHER PEDRO FONT
1853
Jan. 5: Gardening all these days. The flowers transplanted last month all flourishing; seeds sown last month coming up, pink, poppy, larkspur; peas and turnips sown middle of December coming up finely. On the 2d, Sunday, we walked to the hills and transplanted a few of the wild yellow violet. A large congregation at church, an unusual number of men, perhaps the effect of good resolutions at the beginning of the year….
Mr. Barker spent six months at the Tejon trading with the Indians who…reside there. These, he says, were not engaged in the hostilities on the Four Creeks in 1850–1851. As a proof of their present friendship, I may state that some two weeks ago they took a band of horses from some Sonorians that had Stolen them and delivered them up to their owner here. They say that one of the Sonorians was [the notorious outlaw] Joaquin Murrieta.
JUDGE BENJAMIN HAYES
1860
Tomas, an Indian, was sentenced to be executed on the 27th day of September last, but escaped from jail just prior to that day. He was subsequently re-taken, and on the 4th day of December I appointed the 31st of January for his execution. He had in cold blood killed his wife and daughter at the Tejon Reservation, to which place he belonged….
On the morning of the day of execution, a strong feeling began to pervade the community in reference to this prisoner…expressing the opinion that his mind appeared to be not above idiocy, or that he was insane. An application being made to me, under our statute, I gave an order concurring in the summons by the Sheriff of a jury of twelve persons, to determine upon his supposed insanity. Accordingly by 2 p.m. the inquisition was concluded; and the jury found him to be sane—contrary to my expectation, and, as it seemed to me, to the expectation and wishes of a large number of the people who were in attendance.
A feeling of awe appeared to rest upon society—of doubt and fear—lest this poor man after all should have been found guilty originally when insane, or executed in that state, even if his conviction was right. I confess I could not help now and then participating in this solemn feeling of all around me. The Los Angeles Star gave the following brief account of this execution:
EXECUTION.—On Tuesday last, a miserable, imbecile looking creature, Tomas, an Indian, was executed in the jail yard, for the murder of his mother and wife.
JUDGE BENJAMIN HAYES
1942
At around four, the doorbell rang. It was two neatly dressed Americans about thirty years of age. They said, “There is something we want to ask Aoki.”
…I called Sachiko and told her, “Go get Father from Mr. Onodera’s place.”
Sachiko said, “Okay.” And in her cheerful way as usual, she took off, walking like she was jumping sideways, so I hurriedly ran down the front stone steps and caught up with her and in rapid Japanese told her, “They are FBI. Father is going to be investigated, so keep that in mind.” She said, “What?” And the little girl’s face that was always shining white with health suddenly went pale and turned blue, and with tears in her eyes, she took off running!
After a short while, my husband came home; and with my husband, we sat at a table facing the two Americans.
The two Americans rose slightly and said, “This is who we are.” And they opened their coat and showed us their FBI badges and let loose the
ir first arrow of questions.
AOKI HISA
1977
Read a magazine quiz, compiled by experts on geriatric subjects, which purports to predict your life expectancy on the basis of your answers to questions about habits and general way of life. I answer with scrupulous accuracy and discover that I shall be dead in May.
KENNETH TYNAN
JANUARY 6
1931
Here in Pasadena it is like Paradise. Always sunshine and clear air, gardens with palms and pepper trees and friendly people who smile at one and ask for autographs.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
JANUARY 7
1861
It has now rained about seventy hours without cessation—for forty hours of that time, over twenty consecutive, it has rained like the hardest thundershower at home. No signs of clearing up yet—fire out by the rains, provisions getting rather scarce—one meal per day now. But our tent is dry—we have it well pitched, and in a dry place.
I have been studying Spanish, writing up letters, notes, etc. I have written thirteen letters, or about eighty pages, during this rain, to be mailed when we can get to town, but it will be a number of days, for the streams will be impassable. Lucky we did not stay up in the canyon Friday night as they wanted us to, we could not have got down yet. I never saw such rains before.
WILLIAM H. BREWER
1932
Impossible to keep track of time or anything out here—life slips pleasantly out of your control almost at once.
DAWN POWELL
2017
People in LA are deathly afraid of gluten. I swear to god, you could rob a liquor store in this city with a bagel.
RYAN REYNOLDS
JANUARY 8
1827
Last night there was a great fandango or dance among the Spanyards. They kept it up till nearly day light from the noise. The women here are very unchaste; all that I have seen and heard speak appear very vulgar in their conversation and manners. They think it an honnour to ask a white man to sleep with them; one came to my lodgings last night and asked me to make her a blanco Pickanina, which, being interpreted, is to get her a white child, and I must say that for the first time, I was ashamed, and did not gratify her or comply with her request, seeing her so forward.
HARRISON ROGERS
1964
Came upon Los Angeles by bus at night….Ah the crazy hotels, crazy streets, sad signs of America—Jesus Saves!—Tom’s Tattoo—“The Electric Rembrandt”—Snooker Parlor—“Acres of Autos”—Hotel Small—Ice Rink—Greyhound—Los Angeles Street—TV in Rooms—EAT—Barber & Beauty Supply—Pawn Shop—“Shave Yourself”—
…And lonely the hotel doors, gaping. And lonely the lobbies, lonely the beds!…Forever & ever…Lonely the lunchrooms, lonely the cars running in the streets! Lonely Los Angeles, lonely world!…
Sure are a lot of defeated people in this here America….
I go to midnight burlesque show—the Morosco—original standup comedian in baggy pants & strippers bumping & grinding to staccato drum rolls—in pink spotlight which also catches face of drummer drumming in orchestra pit just below stripper on apron of stage—he looking up at her to synchronize his drumbeats with the movement of her pelvis, boom boom, bump bump, now jerking spasmodically, her face detached from the whole scene, having nothing to do with her body, trying to get as far away from it as possible….
The Girl with the 56-Inch Bust grinds her final bump into the curtain, her lost face finally hidden in it as in a huge brown bedsheet. I am alone in the balcony with the spotlight projectionist. Smoke rises from the seats below as in an Inferno. The house lights come on.
LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI
2008
It’s Kaiser Permanente. It’s an HMO mundo we inhabit (digo, those of us even lucky enough to have health coverage), so I won’t know anything for up to ten days, can you believe it?
SUSANA CHÁVEZ-SILVERMAN
JANUARY 9
1890
Rode on a burro, first time. Liked it.
CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN
1917
I am still firmly convinced that to change Tarzan, even though the change made a better story of it, would be to ruin it for the million or so people who have read the story.
EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS, to his agent
1957
So much emphasis was laid on the foreign fate of our pictures that some of us left [the] meeting with an impression that was both erroneous and discouraging. The domestic results were either dismissed lightly or in some cases not even mentioned. It is all very well to make the point that musical pictures fare badly as a rule in foreign language countries, but the argument was pressed so far the other evening that I, for example, came away with the bewildered impression that The King and I was a failure. All I heard was that Burma, Pakistan, and Rangoon didn’t care for it.
NUNNALLY JOHNSON
JANUARY 10
1847
Crossing the plain, we encamped, about two o’clock p.m., in the mouth of a cañada, through which we ascend over a difficult pass in a range of elevated hills between us and the plain of San Fernando, or Couenga [Cahuenga]. Some forty or fifty mounted Californians exhibited themselves on the summit of the pass during the afternoon. They were doubtless a portion of the same party that we met several days ago, just below San Buenaventura. A large number of cattle were collected in the plain and corralled, to be driven along to-morrow for subsistence. Distance 10 miles.
EDWIN BRYANT
1888
The boy is growing and talks now remarkably well. He remarked the other day—when told to be careful or he would break his neck—“I don’t want to break my neck—I wouldn’t break it for any ’mount of money.”
Mary had quite a sore throat—& the other night Ruth & I kept both babies all night. We had a circus—had to take both in bed—at the same time. The boy [the future General George S. Patton, Jr.] is fearful as a bed-fellow. I had just as soon sleep with a mule.
GEORGE PATTON
1939
Re: “GONE WITH THE WIND”
JUST a word about the beginning. To suggest the romance of the old South immediately I should suggest borrowing from the trailers. Under the turning pages of the book I’d like to see a two or three minute montage of the most beautiful pre-war shots imaginable and played over it I’d like to hear the Stephen Foster songs right off the bat. I’d like to see young men riding, Negros singing, long shots of a barbecue, shots of Tara and Twelve Oaks and carriages and gardens and happiness and gaiety.
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, to David O. Selznick
JANUARY 11
1847
I have been engaged all day arranging my Hospital. I have not heard any thing that is going on, everything seems quiet, the citizens of the place do not so far as I can discover manifest very friendly feelings—Nothing heard from Fremont, last night there was a devil of a row from the men, liquor the cause of it all—although every precaution had been taken. An Indian was found dead this morning—how killed I do not know.
DR. JOHN S. GRIFFIN
1847
Emerging from the hills, the advance party to which I was attached met two Californians, bareheaded, riding in great haste. They stated that they were from the mission of San Fernando; that the Californian forces had met the American forces under the command of General Kearny and Commodore Stockton, and had been defeated after two days’ fighting; and that the Americans had yesterday marched into Los Angeles.
EDWIN BRYANT
1933
I have just consumed a stack of wheats & a mug of mocha in this place [the Brown Derby restaurant]. The weather is very hot: yesterday went out in a motor boat from Balboa harbour. Have lectured three times & addressed several classes; have driven a Ford and got stuck in a snow drift. The trees are full of oranges.
&nb
sp; T. S. ELIOT
1935
Life has been hectic and the sky beautifully cloud-filled, sunlight and then beautiful shower-baths. Palm trees and acacias in bloom and all sorts of things I took for granted for too long. I feel bristling with spontaneity.
JOHN CAGE
JANUARY 12
1847
This morning two Californian officers, accompanied by…Pico, who marched with us from San Luis Obispo, came to the mission to treat for peace. A consultation was held and terms were suggested, and, as I understand, partly agreed upon, but not concluded.
EDWIN BRYANT
1847
In virtue of the aforesaid articles, equal rights and privileges are vouchsafed to every citizen of California, as are enjoyed by the citizens of the United States of North America.
DOÑA BERNARDA RUIZ DE RODRIGUEZ,
amending the Treaty of Cahuenga
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