A Tribute to Fathers

Listen to this and more in-depth storytelling by subscribing to The California Report Magazine podcast.

This week we’re bringing you a special Father’s Day show.

Letters to My Father in Prison: ‘In His Absence, I Loved Harder’

We reprise a powerful story from last Father’s Day about a dad who spent years shuttling in and out of jail and prison while his daughter, Melissa Duenas, was growing up. She’s from San Diego, and she kept in touch with her dad by writing snail-mail letters. And he would write back. She’s 32 now, and she recently dug up those letters again. Sorting through them has helped her revisit both her deep love for her dad, and her lingering anger.

What Sounds Remind You of Your Father?

For Father’s Day, some of our listeners called in and told us about the sounds that remind them of their dads.

Remembering a Dad Lost to COVID-19: ‘He Will Always Be in Our Hearts’

Gaspar Gomez immigrated from Mexico City when he was 16. He lived in the San Fernando Valley, and worked as a day laborer in construction for most of his life. On May 3rd, he died of COVID-19. He was 51 years old. His daughter Lucia Gomez says they had a difficult relationship, and the last few weeks of his life were painful. But she says they’ve always had a special connection.

Copyright 2020 KQED