David Milch's remarkable memoir

The Deadwood creator invites us inside his complicated but insightful mind. Plus, Henry Winkler and Patrick Mahomes, David Byrne and Miley Cyrus, and Pelé, Mario, Kareem and Atari

Good evening/good morning! My publishing time for this one is off-kilter even for me, so depending on where you are, it could be either. Hopefully, the next one will be on-kilter.

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And now, on with the show …

Damar Hamlin update

Jordon Rooney @jordonr

Announcement directly from Damar’s family:

In the first 24 hours after Damar Hamlin’s collapse, we didn’t receive any good news, except for the fact that we avoided the worst news. During Monday’s football game, the 24-year-old Buffalo defensive back had cardiac arrest that was apparently triggered by a blow to the chest. He required life-saving measures, and as of this writing remained in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Given everyone’s fear for his life, we’ll take it. But there is still long-term uncertainty. From the Washington Post:

Hamlin’s prospects ultimately may depend more on how long it took to restart his heart and how effectively CPR kept his organs — especially his brain — supplied with blood and the oxygen it carries, critical care and cardiology experts said Tuesday. Little is publicly known about eitherAccording to his uncle, “Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice -- once on the field at Paycor Stadium, and once in the ambulance. There is also concern surrounding potential lung damage.”

Here’s hoping for better news in the next 24 hours.

The astonishing life of David Milch

I snucked a 55th book onto my 2022 list before the year ended: David Milch’s Life’s Work: A Memoir. Milch overcame a beyond dysfunctional childhood, heroin and gambling addictions, and heart trouble that began in his 40s, to become one of the preeminent television visionaries of the past three decades. After breaking into the trade with scripts for the landmark Hill Street Blues, Milch created and/or shaped series including NYPD Blue and Deadwood, winning four Emmy awards.

As bad as the heroin usage was, his gambling is startling.¹ Here are some examples from the book: