DAVE ELLIOTT (1949-2024)
Dave Elliott teaching himself to play the piano. OHM Nightclub, Portland, Oregon.
Dave Elliott was a writer based in Portland, Oregon. When Dave expressed to me that he chose not to pursue further treatment for his stage 4 bile duct cancer, I asked him if he would like to publish a legacy book of his writing. He was elated, and spent the Summer and Fall of 2024 going through his letters, poems, short stories, plays, memoirs, and photographs from his very interesting and varied life.
While working on the book, I also facilitated Dave’s participation in “Embodied”, a beautiful animated documentary short film project by Samuel W. Smith of New York, NY. “Embodied” is a series of conversations with terminally ill individuals who have experienced end of life psychedelic experiences. Dave was no stranger to psychedelics, but he wanted very much to partake in a guided psilocybin end of life journey accompanied by a licenced facilitator, in the privacy of his own home due to his cancer-related medical issues. Because of the limitations of the current Oregon law, it is illegal to do so at home, with a guide. We spent three months researching options, both legal and underground, to try to accomodate Dave’s wish to have a psychedelic healing journey to confront the approaching end of his life. Dave was also about to participate in a court case with a licensed facilitator as the plaintiff, to ask the Oregon Health Authority for an injunction in order to allow Dave to pursue a psilocybin journey at home. Unfortunately, Dave died before this could happen.
In late November, Dave’s health suddenly declined. The publishing team of myself, editor Caleb Spiegel, and book designer Dardinelle Troen, rushed to produce a rough draft copy of “Dream Fishing in the Drool Pond”. On November 21, 2024 I was able to deliver a printed copy on 8 1/2 x 11 paper into Dave’s hands while he was in the ICU at the V.A. Hospital, surrounded by his family. Dave was so happy to see that his legacy book was really going to be published! I will never forget that moment. That evening, in alignment with his wishes, Dave was allowed to go into home hospice. Dave Elliott died peacefully on November 24, 2024, with his family present.
In the coming months, “Dream Fishing in the Drool Pond” will be published by the Bardo Project.
“I recently turned seventy-five soon after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. I’ve got a lot of stories to share and not enough time to do it so I’ll relight this fatty and proceed as if.”
-Dave Elliott
Dream Fishing at the Drool Pond, by Dave Elliott
A raucous collection of poems, short stories, and memoirs, this book by Dave Elliott will be published by the Bardo Project in the months to come.
Softbound, 9 x 6 inches, with color, and black and white photographs, drawings, and writing.
Edited by Caleb Spiegel
Book Design by Dardinelle Troen
Cover Artwork by Dan Reed
With support by Soda/WERKS
Please contact Marne Lucas to donate to fundraising efforts to publish the book in time for Dave’s celebration of life scheduled for Spring 2025 in Portland, Oregon. Tax deductible donations can be made here.
Hiking the Horsehead Nebula
There are nebulas calling so I’m going to have to go
But I will stay in touch forever and thank you for your time
You generously shared with me when I could not find mine
So if your ever out walking and I just pop in your mind
Like if you’re gazing at a star or listening to the wind
It’s me just checking in saying everything is fine
I love you still and always will
I’ll check back every now and then just to say hello
You might hear it in a bird song, a wave or coyotes howl
I don’t know, I’m new at this
But know I’ll be in touch
When I’m hiking the Horsehead Nebula
©2024 Dave Elliott
Self portrait doodle on correspondence from prison, Dave Elliott.
Dave with a Chimpanzee, Tropicana, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1998.
BIO
Dave Elliott was born, or ‘stillborn’ according to his mother, on May 16th, 1949 in Howard Beach, New York. Elliott was properly raised on Long Island during the fifties and the sixties. Early on he discovered a fondness for writing, drinking and dry-humping, and he has kept notes. Soon afterwards his family relocated to central Long Island where he lived until age eighteen. It was a relatively normal blue-collar childhood his only claims to or brushes with fame or celebrity came from mucking the incredible horse “Snowman” stall for several years, and a chance and personal encounter with JFK at age thirteen. In 1967 he enlisted in the Navy where he trained to be a Navy Seal, failing miserably. After discovering his rabid disdain for the Viet Nam war while actively serving, he was sent home early for voicing his misgivings through writing pedestrian poetry, opinions and distributing that and anti-war materials at his home base in Newport, Rhode Island. Following his resolve to stop the dinnertime and nightly body counts, Elliott left Long Island again and headed to Chicago to attend the Chicago Seven trial on the first day of the defense. He returned to Long Island for six months before sticking out his thumb on the Long Island Expressway during a solar eclipse and heading west, destination unknown.
He settled in Los Angeles finding work at Starving Artists Gallery in Inglewood owned by serial criminal, notorious bank robber and reluctant mentor, Rio Sabor. A year later he moved to Newport, Oregon where he dabbled in commercial salmon fishing for several years while continuously pursuing his steady side-gig as the local weed dealer. Well, one thing led to another and for assorted legal misunderstandings he found himself retreating back to Los Angeles. Due to his L.I. connections he found himself working in L.A.’s thriving porn industry and moving fairly rapidly into its hierarchy. After the statute of limitations had comfortably expired in Oregon he headed back to open his own business in the adult entertainment field and was quite successful. He then parlayed his earnings from the adult business into a new venture opening a night club, OHM, in partnership with local rocker Dan Reed. So he invested on a whim, out of boredom, morbidly mid-life.
“As in all of our lives the pendulum is always in motion, sometimes you’re on the upside, sometimes not. It all balances out.” -Dave Elliott
Dave with his son Graham, Lake Oswego, Oregon. Graham is an artist and event promoter based in Akron, Ohio.
Graham, Marne Lucas, and Dave, at Marne's Bardo Project Oregon art show reception. October 5, 2024.
Dave with his son Graham, Lake Oswego, Oregon.
JFK in Ronkonkoma Lake, Long Island, NY, 1960. Photo by Dave Elliott, age 13.
Back of JFK photo in Ronkonkoma Lake, Long Island, 1960.
Marne and Dave, getting Dave's favorite New York style Polish hot dogs at Portland Beef & Cheese Co.