From Los Angeles

August 7, 2009

Hi, all. Just wanted to say how truly devastated I am at the sad news of our loss of David. For all of us, it has come as such a surprise. In the words of James Taylor, "Thought I'd see you one more time again." I haven't seen David in a long time. I'm in L.A. now although I lived in NYC after we all graduated from University of Virginia. Anne and I shared our apartment called the "Hotel Carmine." Those were exciting years! At UVa, I had the lucky opportunity to take classes with David, but the class that stands out is author Ann Beattie's fiction writing workshop. (I know a few people on this list went through this traumatic experience, too.) Later, after college, when I moved to NYC and worked for Vogue, David became a good friend. As Frank so aptly described, he had "...an enormous heart and a wonderful mind." Since I learned David was so ill, memories of our friendship have flooded back. On Sunday evening, I happened to turn on the movie "Rock n' Roll High School." Believe it or not, I'd never seen it! Knowing David was in the ICU, I'd felt a sense of sadness all day. Then, I saw this one character in the film, and a casual remark I'd long since forgotten David had made so many years ago rushed back: He'd told me that his friends said he looked like the character in "Rock n' Roll High School." But at the time I hadn't known what he meant as I'd never seen the movie. It's true! For a moment there was David on the big screen. So even though I wasn't able to be near him in NYC, a casual remark he'd made so many years ago somehow transported him to me. That's just one incident the universe has given me this last week. Like all of you, I loved David. He was a good friend. Since I'm in L.A., I don't think I can attend his service on Sunday. But I'm there in Spirit. And David will always hold a special place in my heart. I will light a candle and meditate, knowing he's not that faraway, just over the bridge...

Peace and Love,
Hilary Iker