To my friends in Los Angeles and everyone affected by the fires. I’m sorry this is late, but you are in my heart.

I’ve loved LA since I stepped off a plane at LAX in the late 80s to move there, and was nearly blinded by sunlight. After 9 years living among the high-rise canyons of New York City, I wasn’t used to so much brightness.

Over time, I’ve come to believe the city is misunderstood by many, including a percentage of fellow Californians. Los Angeles is a special place—beautiful and quirky and filled with some of the world’s most hard-working and creative people.

The picture here hangs in my home. I bought it at a student exhibition when earning my MFA at Antioch LA. It’s a photograph printed on board of the downtown Los Angeles skyline—mystical and a little magical.

Sending love.