In a letter to Margy, Mabel wrote that Daniel had received a perfect report card in February 1970, along with “all good behavior marks, which is really something for him.” Mabel gave him a dollar as a reward but said she would only give him $5 if he moved up to “A-class.” He was in “B-class.”1
In the same letter, Mabel reported that Daniel only drew action pictures and adventure stories during this period and commented, “They are no longer very artistic.” Only a month or so later Mabel expressed pride in a drawing Daniel had made that was on display at his school. Recounting these letters to David, twelve years later, at age twenty-two, he was struck by his mother’s mixed responses to his art from that period. Regarding Mabel’s criticism he responded, “Isn’t that a weird thing to say?” Regarding Mabel’s pride he responded, “Isn’t that great!”2