De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period

           Ifitmadeanyrealsense—anditdoesn’tevenbeginto—IthinkImightbeinclinedtodedicatethisaccount,forwhateverit’sworth,especiallyifit’stheleastbitribaldinparts,tothememoryofmylate,ribaldstepfather,RobertAgadganian,Jr.Bobby—aseveryone,evenI,calledhim—diedin1947,surelywithafewregrets,butwithoutasinglegripe,ofthrombosis.Hewasanadventurous,extremelymagnetic,andgenerousman.(Afterhavingspentsomanyyearslaboriouslybegrudginghimthosepicaresqueadjectives,Ifeelit’samatteroflifeanddeathtogettheminhere.)

           Mymotherandfatherweredivorcedduringthewinterof1928,whenIwaseight,andmothermarriedBobbyAgadganianlatethatspring.Ayearlater,intheWallStreetCrash,Bobbylosteverythingheandmotherhad,withtheexception,apparently,ofamagicwand.Inanycase,practicallyovernight,Bobbyturnedhimselffromadeadstockbrokerandincapacitatedbonvivantintoalive,ifsomewhatunqualified,agent-appraiserforasocietyofindependentAmericanartgalleriesandfineartsmuseums.Afewweekslater,earlyin1930,ourrathermixedthreesomemovedfromNewYorktoParis,thebetterforBobbytoplyhisnewtrade.Beingacool,nottosayanice-cold,tenatthetime,Itookthebigmove,sofarasIknow,untraumatically.ItwasthemovebacktoNewYork,nineyearslater,threemonthsaftermymotherdied,thatthrewme,andthrewmeterribly.

           IrememberasignificantincidentthatoccurredjustadayortwoafterBobbyandIarrivedinNewYork.