something that has been on my to do list for a long time has been to take reel-to-reel tapes from the 60s and 70s that my dad recorded as taped letters and transfer them onto a more current media format, namely onto a compact disc. at first my big obstacle was finding a reel-to-reel player that works. i'm borrowing one from my grandmother that's on its last legs, but it pulled through and i was able to record onto my computer, clean up some of the tape hiss, and burn some cds. i'm really glad i finally did this but i feel really strange about it at the same time. i want to make some personalized jewel case inserts for these discs, using period items of my father's, and give these discs as gifts to relatives. i hope they don't get too emotional over it--i hope it's not too weird for them to see the artwork i will make and hear the disc.

these tapes are very precious to me because... if it weren't for photographs, i wouldn't know what my dad looks like because i would have completely forgotten. i first heard these reel-to-reel tapes when i was in high school and it was a total shock to me since i had completely forgotten his voice. through these tapes and photographs, i am trying to piece together what my father was like alive but i just can't imagine how his body moved as he spoke, how he structured sentences, how he was funny or smart, etc. i just can't imagine what he was like in the flesh. i try but i just can't picture it.