Do Androids Dream in Berkeley, Part

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Do Androids Dream in Berkeley

Part 2 - Contining the Story of Philip K. Dick’s Life in Berkeley

By Maureen Foster

UC Berkeley - briefly

In 1948 Philip K. Dick married Jeanette Marlin, a customer he met at the Winter 2009 music store, but the union was short-lived and, according to biographer Volume 27, Number 1 Lawrence Sutin, Phil rarely mentioned her. Phil moved to an attic apart- COPYRIGHT 2009 ment at 1931 Dwight Way in 1949 and, in the fall, enrolled at UC Berkeley, where he planned to major in philosophy, taking classes in zoology and IN THIS ISSUE history as well. But his college career lasted only two months. Participation Phillip Dick in Berkeley...... 1 in ROTC was mandatory at the time, and this posed a problem for Phil. Oral History News...... 1 Letter from the Presidents...... 2 His third wife Tessa Busby recalled, “they had to march with their M-1’s. But Thank You...... 2 he would march with a broom because he didn’t want to carry a gun In Memoriam...... 2 and they told him he couldn’t do that. Well, the following week, they were Berkeley Police Bike Patrol...... 4 learning how to take the M-1 apart and put it back together, but some- Photo Contest...... 6 Events at the Center...... 8 how, accidentally, Phil dropped the firing pin into the wrong place and the Calendar of Events...... 8 gun was useless and could never be fired again. So he marched with the broken gun, but he got an F in ROTC, or they kicked him out…he never told the story the same way twice.” Phil fictionalized the episode in his novel Radio Free Albemuth. Various sources offer differing interpretations of Phil’s departure from the UC and the circumstances that led to it, probably because, as Tessa recalled, he varied the stories himself. He also teased his readers into a game of separating his fiction from his autobiography, which yet again varied from “some of the lies he presents as his life, and he’s very care- ful to obscure the difference,” commented science fiction author Thomas M. Disch. “He wants to make this a riddle,” said Disch; he was a “con artist…who expected his audience to appreci- ate his performances.” Biographer Emmanuel Carrere’s take on Phil’s UC episode is that “several days after after he had signed up for a course on Sturm und Drang and the philosophy of David Hume, a severe panic attack put an end to his academic career.” But, in a recent interview, Paul Williams, editor of the Philip K. Dick Society Newsletter and longtime friend of the author, said that Phil’s problems at UC Berkeley “were clearly both school and ROTC related.” Symptoms of vertigo and agoraphobia in the classroom continued to plague him during this period, but Phil’s own A Distinguished psyche may have played the big- Mentor gest role. Williams’s 1986 book Only Apparently Real expands upon While Kleo worked and attended UC lengthy interviews he conducted Berkeley, Phil, with her financial, edito- with Phil for Rolling Stone. “I began rial, and moral support, began writing to get terribly frightened and anx- in earnest. “He was too reclusive to ious and I didn’t know why,” join a critique group,” Kleo’s daughter Anne Mini English comments, Phil told Williams in 1974. “Fortu- “so she routinely took his early short The History Center is located in the nately I listened to my unconscious Veterans Memorial Building stories (and hers) to a well-known 1931 Center St., Berkeley, CA 94701 because it was too strong to be writers’ group in Berkeley, jotted down Mailing Address: PO Box 1190 denied…It drove me out of the the feedback, and carried it back to Berkeley, CA 94701 510 848 0181 cloistered realms where I would Philip so he could revise.” Margot Lind have been cut off from the broad- Newsletter Editor er, truer world, and drove me into The process of submitting the stories Dale Smith the real world. It drove me into a was a team effort that was both DESIGN and production job, and marriage, and a career in streamlined and economical. “They writing.” But he also admitted, “I am stuffed each of these short stories Board of Directors very defensive about all of this still, into a grey Manila envelope with a Margot Lind Carl Wikander because I didn’t finish college.” second envelope folded up inside CO-President CO-President as an SASE, and sent them off to In the winter of 1949 Phil was divid- Carole Bennett- Judy Kennedy any magazine that had evinced Simmons Secretary ing his work between Herb Hollis’s even the remotest interest in sci- Vice President two music stores in Berkeley, and it ence fiction or fantasy.” was at Art Music [2328 Telegraph Phil Gale John Aronovici Treasurer AnaLuisa Coplan Avenue] that he met Kleo Apos- A vast volume of submissions Past CO-President tolides. He spotted her browsing insured an avalanche of rejections, through Italian opera, an interest with Kleo’s recollection of the seven- Ken Cardwell Greta Olsen Tom Edwards Dale Smith she had in common with Phil. Steven Finacom stefen In June 1950, at Oakland Ed Herny Allen Stross City Hall, they were married. They moved into the house at 1126 Francisco Street that Phil had recently bought. “The roof leaked and the paint was peeling off the walls,” writes Carrere. “When- Thank ever it rained, they had to Eunice Childs for her contribution to the put pans everywhere…the L.L. Stein Endowment You Fund difficulties didn’t seem to faze them, though…Kleo Thornwall Properties, Inc., Hank Abra- ham, Bruce Foidman and Allen Kropp was determined to resist any- for their Business Membership of $100 thing resembling a bourgeois lifestyle. A stalwart foot sol- Howard & Estelle Bern for their $75 dier of local radicalism, Kleo membership wore jeans and horn-rimmed Daniella Thompson, Annelise Armstrong, glasses, and sang the songs Steve Greenberg & Liz Vainhager, Jeremy of the Spanish Civil War that Knight & Barbara Adair, Richard C. Otter the members of the Abra- and Fred & Judy Porta for their Contrib- ham Lincoln Brigade had sung as uting Memberships of $50. teen manuscripts spilling out of the they marched on Madrid.” mailbox onto the front porch. But the young couple was tenacious. The stories they’d sent, as Anne describes it, “landed once again in

2 Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009 Chronicle and other major newspa- Beyond Lies the Wub tells the tale pers, he was, commented William F. of a spaceship visiting Mars and a Nolan, “recognized as the nation’s crewmember named Peterson, who foremost authority on crime fiction, purchases from a Martian an over- without question the most influential, sized and shaggy creature known as as well as the most popular, mystery a Wub. On the ship’s journey Peterson critic of his period.” discovers the Wub’s surprising intel- ligence as the pair embark on long Fortunately for Phil, Tony Boucher conversations about the journeys was also the co-founder/editor (with of Odysseus. Unfortunately another J. Francis McComas) of The Maga- crew member, Franco, is more inter- zine Fantasy & Science Fiction, and ested in the Wub’s cuilinary potential, a dedicated mentor, coach, and and cooks and eats it. After that, inspiration for new writers. It was the Franco continues the conversation informal writers’ group he held in his that, unbeknownst to him, the Wub house at 2643 Dana Street where had been having with Peterson. Kleo came to seek feedback and editorial guidance that she then re- Of his tale of anthropocentrism layed to Phil. The sessions were also Phil wrote, “the idea I wanted to attended by Phil’s mother Dorothy, get down on paper had to do their mailbox with the accuracy of a who was also writing fiction. Phil told with the definition of ‘human.’ The well-flung boomerang,” and would interviewer Joe Vitale, “My mother dramatic way I trapped the idea be promptly submitted elsewhere. was an editor…but her ambition was to present ourselves, the literal “To minimize retyping, they would was to write and sell stories and humans, and then an alien life iron pages that had gotten bent in novels. It was from her that I got the form that exhibits the deeper traits the mail, slip the manuscript into a idea that writing was a very impor- that I associate with humanity…an fresh envelope, and send it to the tant thing.” organism that is human in terms of next prospective publisher.” its soul.” He also commented, “Jack Beyond Lies the O’Sullivan, an editor of Planet, wrote Yet Phil’s first sale was to come not Wub to tell me that in his opinion it was a from one of hundreds of unsolicited very fine little story – whereupon he submissions, but from a customer In November 1951 Boucher and paid me something like fifteen dol- he met at Art Music. Berkeley resi- McComas bought Phil’s story Roog lars. It was my introduction to pulp dent Anthony Boucher was a fel- for publication in Fantasy and payment rates.” low opera enthusiast, collector, Science Fiction. In June Phil sent them three more stories as possible and host of an opera program on More stories appeared throughout “alternatives.” Roog was to have radio station KPFK. He was also an the 1950s and 60s in magazines the distinction of being his very eclectic literary figure both locally with spectacular, bizarre covers and first sale, but as it happened, the and nationally. Boucher sold his names like Fantastic Universe, Gal- story, Beyond Lies the Wub, that he first short story to Weird Tales at the axy, Orbit, Amazing, If, and Worlds of subsequently sold to Planet Stories age of sixteen, attended USC, and Tomorrow. Phil shared these pages appeared first in July 1952. earned an M.A. at UC Berkeley. He with hundreds of others, including translated works to English from five Phil and Kleo’s story-submitting Isaac Asimov, Philip Jose Farmer, languages, and translated Jorge enterprise was in high gear - write a Poul Anderson, Arthur C. Clarke, and Luis Borges decades before his story, send it out, get it back, iron it Richard Matheson, and the relative- writing was well-known outside of and resubmit in a fresh envelope - ly rare women in the field, such as Argentina. (An interesting connec- and soon acceptances began to Judith Merrill and Evelyn Goldstein. tion is that author Ursula K. Le Guin snowball. In 1953 alone, thirty of his “In a blaze of Faust-like fire,” Phil was to later refer to Dick as “our own stories were published, seven in a wrote, “I abruptly quit my job at the home-grown Borges.”) single month, all on the corner store record shop, forgot my career in magazine racks at the same time. Boucher wrote seven mystery nov- records, and began to write all the At the end of 1954, commented els, hundreds of radio plays includ- time.” In a 1974 interview he told Isa, Phil’s daughter with his fourth ing Sherlock Holmes dramas, and Paul Williams, “I went to my first con- wife Nancy Hackett, “he had pub- edited numerous anthologies. Writ- vention and they said, ‘you ought to lished sixty-two stories, while he had ing criticism for the San Francisco write novels…you’ll never get any- been a writer for only three years.”

Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009 3 where writing stories…and I realized A Cultural I would have to write a novel…I still Afterlife wasn’t able to buy an automobile, that’s how poor I was selling seven The Bancroft Library of stories simultaneously. So I looked UC Berkeley houses a for an idea, and I found that in Philip K. Dick archive games theory.” The resulting novel assembled by Acquisi- was Solar Lottery, which was bought tions Head, D. Steven by Don Wollheim at Ace Books and Black. A lifelong fan, published as half of a paperback Black acknowledges “Ace Double” in 1955. that the author’s bril- liance was less ap- In quick succession six more of his preciated during his science fiction novels were issued lifetime than that of by Ace by the time Phil and Kleo fellow science fiction moved from Berkeley to Point Reyes writers, such as Robert in 1958. Among them were Eye In Heinlein and Isaac The Sky (1957) whose protagonist, Asimov, because their an engineer named Josh Hamilton, work “reflected an op- discovers that a radiation incident timistic, can-do vision.” has left him and his friends with the Dick’s view of society, ability recreate the world everyone refracted through lives in - according to the reality in science fiction, was their own minds. more sardonic, even jaundiced, portraying The Man Who Japed (1956) is set in the 20th century as a a 2114 post-apocalyptic dystopia protodystopia. of lies, surveillance and censorship. Nothing can grow in the “surface of But in recent decades, ash” that is the detritus of the prewar commented Black, world, “a mixture of organic and “the world came to inorganic compounds. A fusion of seem more in line people and their possessions into a Award in 1963 for his novel The Man with his vision”, generating, after his common gray-black blur.” Protago- in the High Castle, and a John W. death, what Black calls “a rich cul- nist Allen Purcell’s acts of rebellion Campbell award in 1975 for Flow My tural afterlife.” The archive contains against the government include Tears, The Policeman Said. His 1977 a selection of his science fiction “japing” or desecrating a revered book A Scanner Darkly, possibly his and mainstream novels, a five- statue, and stomping on a “juve- most autobiographical work, fuses volume set of the author’s collected nile”, the ubiquitous eighteen -inch a nightmarish present-day tale of letters, an almost complete collec- robotic informers that scuttle close technology, surveillance and para- tion of magazine short stories, and to the floor taping people’s lives. noia with a reflection upon Phil’s own the complete set of Philip K. Dick Both these novels explore themes extended period of methamphet- Society Newsletters from the 1980s that Phil pursued in one form or amine abuse. and 90s under editor Paul Williams, another throughout his life and work: Dick lived in Southern California, all of which are available to the “what is human?” and “what is real?” where Scanner is set, during the public for viewing on the premises. During his years on Francisco Street last decade of his life. At the time Dick’s novels regularly appear on re- in Berkeley, Phil also wrote eight of his death from a stroke in 1982, quired reading lists for courses at UC mainstream or non-science fic- only two months before the release Berkeley. Last year Professor Walter tion novels that were not accepted of Blade Runner, Phil was at work Freeman asked his class to read Do at the time, but which have since on a book called The Owl in Day- Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? been published, most recently light. Along with an exploration of for a discussion on brainwashing in Voices From the Street in 2007. He his years in the culture of Berkeley, his Molecular & Cell Biology fresh- was a prolific writer throughout the ideas from the book will be incorpo- man seminar. 1960’s and 1970’s, winning a Hugo rated in a film biography of his life scheduled for release in 2009.

4 Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009 After his death, two other successful films were based on Dick’s work. An Update to the Story of James McGee Total Recall was based on the short story We Can Remember It For You from the Winter 2007 Newsletter Wholesale and Minority Report was based on the novel of the same James McGee, an early Berkeley the sisters were given. Some land name. developer, amassed property hold- he kept for himself and took a cut “His genius weds a core of memo- ings of nearly 24 square blocks. His of the price for the rest. rable characters to paradoxical wife Catherine died in 1874 and he By the time Gus Wendt, (who was plots rich with philosophical inquiry,” died in 1899. James’s estate upon a successful builder in the Oakland wrote John Boonstra, who inter- his death was estimated to be worth area) discovered this, all the prop- viewed Phil shortly before his death. $100,000 in 1899 money. His property and everything else was gone, “But a brief description can’t explain erties stretched from California Street including furniture and jewelry. What how entertaining this eclectic mix to MLK, and Addison to Dwight Way. was done was legal, but unethical. invariably proves to be.” Everything was left to his daughters Catherine and Mary Ann, but they Gus tried to do something about it, In the summer of 2007 the Berkeley ended up dying quite poor. but to no avail. Public Library featured Phil’s work, Another great uncle, Clem Rooney, along with an appreciation and Recently Irene A. Mahan, a distant who remembered the sisters, said commentary, in its outside display cousin of the McGee’s, recently that they never got married be- case on Kittredge Street. James contacted BHS and the McGee cause James would never allow Foley, who created the display, first Neighborhood Association with anyone to court them because became interested in Dick’s work interesting details regarding the he was afraid suitors would only be when his father gave him a copy of landholdings of James McGee. after his money. Clem told a story The Man in the High Castle. “I went Irene A. Mahan reports that, after that around 1918, the sisters were on to read another dozen or so of James McGee died, an attorney due for a visit in Sacramento. He his books,” says Foley. “The reason I friend of his, who was considerably and his brothers had a friend who was so drawn to Philip K Dick’s works younger than James, “managed” fancied himself a ladies’ man. was that his novels asked impor- the daughters’ affairs. In the late When he heard that the cousins tant philosophical and theological 1930’s her great aunt and uncle, were visiting, he was very interesting questions. What can we know? Gus and Alice (Rooney) Wendt in making their acquaintance. The What is reality? What is God? When found that the lawyer had been Rooney boys really played them up reading one of his novels you get swindling the sisters. He would find as being single and wealthy and the sense that you’re never really a “buyer” for a piece of land, offer so much fun, etc. When the young on solid ground, that the floor could a “good price” and sell it for them. man was introduced to the 60- be swept out from under you at any It turned out that he was buying ish sisters, he was quite upset. The moment to reveal a completely much of the land himself and then brothers thought it was hilarious. transformed version of reality.” re-selling it for three times the price A tour of Berkeley’s used bookstores will often yield one of Dick’s paper- backs from the 1960’s and 1970’s, and magazines like Amazing con- taining one of his stories occasionally turn up at Half Price Books. A glass case on the counter at science fiction and fantasy book shop, Another Change of Hobbit, on Shattuck, houses a note from the author that Phil gave the store after he can- celled a scheduled appearance: I promise you an autograph party Philip K. Dick

Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009 5 a family genealogy chart showing Why is it Called his Great-Grandmother (Elizabeth S. Whitney) as the first postmistress who Lorin? had petitioned the Postal Service for a post office in the area. By John Ginno Aronovici The story of the post office has been For many years Berkeleyans and passed down generation to gen- Berkeley historians have pondered eration in his family. Mrs. Whitney this small mystery. Rumors and purchased a house in 1879 from guesses abounded. Was there a Mr. Edward Harman, an early settler in Lorin? Was there a Miss Lorin some- South Berkeley. Her daughter, Car- thing? The name Lorin for the South rie, married H.D. Irwin who became Berkeley area appeared on maps an early real estate agent and civic in the 1880s and the train stop was leader. Their daughter, Francis Irwin named Lorin. The most frequent is the mother of Robin Irwin. explanation centered around some Mrs. Elizabeth S. Whitney circulated kind of mix-up committed by the a petition for a post office in 1881 U.S. Postal Service. for the area and planned on call- A strong proponent of this story was ing it Garfield, probably in honor of President James A. Garfield. She United States Postal Service Hal Johnson whose column for the document designating the Post Berkeley Daily Gazette, Hal Johnson, forwarded her petition to the Post Office, crossing out Garfield and So We Are Told started in the 1940’s Office Department in Washington naming it Lorin D.C. Mrs. Whitney’s petition was and continued into the 1950s. This so there would have been no rea- returned with Garfield crossed off version of the story of Lorin originally son to deny the name Garfield. appeared in January 1, 1952. A by the Postmaster’s office and the similar story is told in Durham’s Place name Lorin written in. So, we now know that the post Names of the S.F. Bay Area book. office did change the proposed One unverified story is that at the name. But we still don’t know why same time a similar petition for a An opportunity to clarify and ver- or where the name came from. post office in Oregon called Florin ify the story of Lorin’s naming ap- The Lorin post office lasted from was sent and the requests were peared this year with Robin Irwin 1882 until 1902 when the area was mixed up. But, since there is no Lorin who stopped at the BHS tent at the annexed to Berkeley and the Post or Florin post office in Oregon, this Solano Stroll. A follow-up meeting Office name was changed to the may not be the case. There is also at the BHS History Center found South Berkeley Post Office. Robin with the Johnson articles and no Garfield post office in California,

H.D. Irwin office c1910, 3264 Adeline Street (The family lived at 3266)Note sign : Post Office, Train tickets, Waiting room

6 Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009 Photo by Mark Coplan The Berkeley Historical Society recently held a photo contest. The theme was “ How Berkeley Can You Be.” Pictured are he winners in the high school division with Allen Stross, BHS Board Member who organized the event. The winners were: FIRST PLACE: Gretta Mattei and Ellen Williams. SECOND PLACE: Amber Price and Bacilla Bran. THIRD PLACE: Amanda Swain.

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Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009 7 Calendar of Events Exhibits

September 27, 10am – Walking Tour: Oak- A Bond of Perpetuity: Lincoln’s Legacy in land’s Walkways and Streetcar Heritage. For Oakland, Oakland History Room, Main more information, call Oakland Heritage Library, 125 14th Street, Second Floor. Alliance 510-763-9218. Through March 20.

September 28, 10am – Walking Tour: Charles and Louise Keeler—A Collaboration Oakland’s Richmond Blvd. For more of Literature and Art, Inspired by Love, Berke- information, call Oakland Heritage Alliance ley History Center, 1931 Center. Through 510-763-9218. March 30

February 2, 7:30pm – Lecture: The Legacy of Berkeley Parks, The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar Street.

February 4, 10am – Walking Tour: Emeryville Public Art, Berkeley Path Wanderers. For more information, call 510-528- 3246.

February 12, 10am – Walking Tour: Birding at the Waterfront for ages 50+, Friends of Five Creeks. For more information, call 510- 524-9122

February 12, 7:30pm – Lecture: The WPA and the Oakland Park System, Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont, Oakland. For more information, call Oakland Heritage Alliance 510-763-9218.

February 26, 7pm – Lecture: Musing on Modernism, Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. For more information, call 510-748-0796.

March 4, 10am – Walking Tour: Geocaching on the Paths, Berkeley Path Wanderers. For more information, call 510-528- 3246.

March 7, 10am – Power Walking Tour: John Hinkel Park, Acacia Walk,Grizzly Peak Berkeley Non Profit Org. Blvd.,Vistamont with a return via Easter Way. Historical Society U.S. POSTAGE For more information, call 510-848-2944. Post Office Box 1190 PAID Berkeley, CA 94701 Permit #131 March 15, 2pm – Lecture: Allensworth: 510 848 0181 Berkeley, CA California’s African-American Town, Oakland Museum. For more information, call 510- 238-2200

March 26, 7pm – Lecture: Fair, Please – The 1915 World’s Fair, Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. For more information, call 510-748-0796.

April 30, 7pm. Lecture: A.A. Cohen and Old Fernside, Alameda Museum, 2324 Alameda Avenue. For more information, call 510-748-0796.

8 Berkeley Historical Society Newsletter Winter 2009