410 Precita Ave.,
San Francisco, Calif.
March 14, 1969
Herb Caen
c/o S.F. Chronicle
Dear Herb:
Marking predictions is a great game, especially if they don’t come true. I have been to Virginia Beach. I know Hugh Lynn Cayce and like him. He is popular. If one makes predictions and they don’t come true, he (or more likely she) is popular. If not, God help you.
Well the Cayce Bees have been warning me about earthquakes. “You are talking of a veteran of San Francisco, Santa Barbara, not to say Whittier, Los Angles, Tokyo and Rawalpindi.” This is the worst form of argument, to have had the earth rock you to sleep.
Now I have not been in the prediction business because if you predict and the predictions come true you soon won’t be in business. But some enterprising friends of mine have taken over the quondam publication, The Oracle and I suggested they publish some true predictions. They might do just that.
If you make predictions and they come true you will have against you the communist party, all the editors, all the metaphysicians, all the psychics (especially). And Allen Ginsberg will run around saying, “What this country needs is more Blakes and Whitmans being very careful to keep out of your way.
You can’t blame me for giving up looking into the future, and looking into pretty girls’ eyes instead. It is more rewarding however you regard it. Anyhow when I am gone my predictions will no doubt be published—and possibly before.
Now I have another career, becoming a Pied Piper. It is horrible. Only the young show up. More and more every week. And you know, Herb, there’s votes in them there Jacks and Jills.
I am now off to Haight-Ashbury where I attract, but only the young, Herb only the young.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
Aug. 9, 1970
Mr. Herb Caen
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco, Calif. 94119
Dear Herb:
I am going to send you some “not-news.” It is about the not-newsy young people who are only noticed if they are caught with grass or pornography. The fact that they haven’t been convinced that grass is harmful and booze delightful is making an ever-enlarging gap which ought to be called not a generation gap but a degeneration gap. I have just received from England a series of pictures of Rabbis and Imams together. When a Rabbi meets with an Imam that is news, but when a devotee of the Rabbi’s Congregation and a devotee of the Imam’s congregation worship together that is treason of absolutely the worst kind, and no question about it, it is treason. Well some of us have had the audacity to try to get Israelis and Arabs to associate with each other and even to worship together. Of course we have been successful. We have been amazed at the success. But we are quite aware that this is absolutely unprintable. Only we are going ahead anyhow.
This person went to Geneva to a Conference of the World’s Faiths, and he was permitted to speak, which is never done in the good San Francisco where he was born. Now we have determined to try to get Arabs and Israelis to recognize each other as human beings. It is not only easy, it is being followed by a successful fund collecting. The dear old Rabbis and the dear old Imams will gather together, will worship together, and will go home and warn their disciples and congregation that they must never think of doing anything like it. Thus the degeneration gap. But we have been most successful in getting young people to recognize each other as children of the living God, and going on from there, and not only doing that, but have been very successful in collecting funds to advance such a program. If one of us should smoke marijuana or raise the red flag or the Vietnamese Flag this would be news. Tomorrow it is going to be news anyhow. Thus the degeneration gap.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
September 2, 1970
Herb Caen, Chronicle
San Francisco, Calif.
Dear Herb:
You will find enclosed copy of a letter to our mutual friend Gavin Arthur. [Of August 18—Ed]
I shall not apologize for my tone. There is nothing more terrible than to be an eye witness of dramas in foreign lands. My friend Robert Clifton lived many years in Vietnam and died of a broken heart. My friend Julie Medlock, widow of a Hearst editor and herself a press representative, worked as a reporter in many lands. She had the temerity to be an eye witness of dramas in many parts of both Asia and Africa. Every report she made was published by Asian papers and less than 10% by the American press.
I have at last found an editor who is going to accept my eye witness reports and probably the conversations with Mr. Gunnar Jarring. This man thought the plan I presented was the best he had ever encountered for the Middle East. This was turned down by every “respectable” American organization. Fortunately, it was part of a larger program labeled “What California Can Do for Asia” and now the universities are accepting all efforts. There’s am beautiful story here which the young and coming generations will level at so-called establishments, establishment including all disciples of schools of every form of dialectics. All dialecticians and “realists” select.
Fortunately all our efforts to bring human beings together are succeeding. More fortunately we are not the only ones trying to bring human beings together. I may write a letter to the editor of the Chronicle. Why not even the local Marin papers have published anything from me, although even years ago I was news.
Well I have to go on to other things now, including letters, and hope to God we can find a few good editors who will get out of realism ad into reality. You are certainly invited to attend any of the joint Israeli-Arab meetings. I understand even TV and radio stations are recognizing them.
Samuel L. Lewis
Sept. 14, 1970
Mr. Herb Caen
c/o San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco, Ca. 94119
Dear Herb:
There used to be a saying, “When dog bites man it is not news, but when man bites dog it is news.” I dissent. When dog bites man it is news; when man bites dog it is news; when man kissed dog or dog kisses man it is not-news.
We have been very successful in having joint Israeli-Arab-Christian meetings, right here in San Francisco. Verboten of course. If they took marijuana they would be investigated, and they are thinking just of that, because it might bring them news, or maybe?
I think we have informed you of a joint Jewish-Sufi gathering in Jerusalem. But that isn’t news either, because Sufis are not to be mentioned unless detrimentally, as in yesterday’s paper.
Now we have received a letter from Rabbi Irving Lehman of Temple Emanu-El in Miami Each. He approves entirely of our efforts. In fact I have seen him sit down at a table with Muslims myself. Not-news of course.
Soon you or your colleagues will be approached by some young people who are having inter-religious, inter-racial gatherings, why even an emissary of President Nixon has discovered what we are doing.
I would like to see San Francisco change from the Gomorrah by the Bay to the Baghdad by the Bay. Don’t you think this is a good idea? Do you know anything about Baghdad? I do. And I began riding the streetcars in San Francisco about 1904. I also think I know something about San Francisco but respect you in this regard.
Sincerely,
Sept. 21, 1970
Mr. Herb Caen
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco, Calif. 94119
Dear Herb:
The stage is all set for a book which may make Zola’s J’accuse look simple and elementary. Only “excitement” is news, and in everything that is occurring we are supporting the communist contention that our social order is decadent. Even the front page of today’s paper has an item that the Russians have reached the moon. I understand there is going to be an outbreak in Marin County, a protest parade against starvation. But it is not news if the scientists have made it possible, and I believe they have made it possible, to solve practically all our so-called food problems.
Already another long distance call that we have another Rabbi who is supporting our joint not-news Israeli-Christian-Arab dinners.
There is a lot more going on—real or potential history. But unless it is terribly “exiting” it is unworthy. Man bites dog is news; dog bites man is news; dog kissing man or man kissing dog….
Every little real or putative achievement of the Communists is news. Actualities by “unexciting” Americans ha ha ha and ho ho ho. You bet youth is in revolt and it has nothing to do with any kind of wing-ism.
Faithfully,
Samuel L. Lewis
San Francisco Chronicle
Dear Wali:
That’s a wild story alright and many thanks for sending it my way.
Yours,
Herb Caen