Reimagine Candlelight Vigil with Author David Sheff
Reimagine has been hosting candlelight vigils throughout the pandemic in order to break down taboos and hold space for all that we've lost. Journalist David Sheff -- author of Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction -- offers insights on the ambiguous grief of parenting a child who suffers from addiction. In addition he will discuss how writing and other creative expressions play a role in healing and transformation. Our additional guest is performer, DJ, podcast host, and Reimagine collaborator Dayna Keyes.
David Sheff
David Sheff is the author of Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction, a number-one New York Times bestseller. The book was based on his article, “My Addicted Son,” which appeared in the New York Times Magazine and won a special award from the American Psychological Association for “outstanding contribution to the understanding of addiction.” It was published in a dozen languages and named the year’s Best Nonfiction Book by Entertainment Weekly. In 2009, David was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine’s list of the World’s Most Influential People. “Beautiful Boy” was adapted as a film by Amazon Studios and Plan B Entertainment and starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet.
David followed Beautiful Boy with Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy, also New York Times bestseller. Clean was the result of the years David spent investigating the disease of addiction and America’s drug problem, which he sees as the greatest public health challenge of our time. The Partnership for Drug-free Kids honored him with a Special Tribute Award “in recognition of his voice and leadership for families who are struggling with addiction.” He was also received media awards from the College of Problems on Drug Dependence (CPDD), American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), and American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) “to recognize his compelling portrayal of addiction and its personal effects on families and society as a whole.” In December 2019, David became the first recipient of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry Arts and Literature Award.
David’s other books include Game Over, China Dawn, and All We Are Saying, based on David’s famous interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He also wrote The Buddhist on Death Row: How One Man Found Light in the Darkest Place, about which the Dalai Lama said "This book shows vividly how, even in the face of the greatest adversity, compassion and a warm-hearted concern for others bring peace and inner strength.” He is currently working on the definitive biography of Yoko Ono which will show her place in history and her profound influence on art, music, feminism and activism. The book will be published by Simon & Schuster with publication set for Spring 2024.
David recently launched the Beautiful Boy Fund, devoted to making quality, evidence-based treatment available to people who need it and identifying and supporting research to further the field of addiction medicine. He lives with his family in Northern California.
Dayna Keyes
Born in the deep South, raised in Los Angeles, Dayna has been a professional voiceover actress since she was eight years old. She graduated from LA County High School for the Arts with a resume of radio and television spots, as well as many theater productions, already under her belt. Dayna went on to act in indie films, music videos and even more national television commercials. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000, continuing her acting career and studying broadcasting at the same time. She found her true home in radio and has been a Bay Area DJ for over 15 years. Dayna’s love for music started when she was a baby; she was raised on tour and backstage, as her father was the drummer for The Doobie Brothers. Dayna also hosts a podcast called Radio Rehab, where she interviews guests (including David Sheff) and has discussions about recovery from addiction and its many facets. At the 2019 Reimagine SF Festival, she co-hosted “In My Life: The Power of Music in Healing through Loss”. Dayna has what borders on an unhealthy obsession with cats and Elvis – which you can see when you follow her on social @radiorehabdayna.
