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>> THE LATE ROSS WARD WAS AN
ARTIST WHO CREATED A MOST
UNUSUAL NEW MEXICO TOURIST
ATTRACTION, THE TINKERTOWN
MUSEUM.
LOCATED ON NEW MEXICO'S
TURQUOISE TRAIL, IT'S A FOLK
ART ENVIRONMENT BUILT OF
RECYCLED MATERIALS AND WACKY
WESTERN MEMORABILIA.
AT THE AGE OF 57, ROSS WARD
WAS DIAGNOSED WITH EARLY
ONSET ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE,
AND PASSED AWAY LESS THAN
FIVE YEARS LATER.
IN OUR NEW ONE-ON-ONE
FEATURE, InFOCUS PRODUCER
MEGAN KAMERICK SITS DOWN
WITH HIS DAUGHTER, TANYA
WARD GOODMAN, AUTHOR OF
'LEAVING TINKERTOWN,' A
ATTRIBUTE TO HER FATHER, AND
A JOURNEY THROUGH HIS
DIAGNOSIS AND SUBSEQUENT
DEATH.
>> TANYA, ANYONE WHO HAS
EVER BEEN TO TINKERTOWN
KNOWS THAT YOUR FATHER LIVED
OUT HIS CREATIVE VISION WITH
A FIERCE INDEPENDENCE MOST
OF US SACRIFICE IN OUR
LIVES.
THAT MADE YOUR CHILDHOOD
VERY UNCONVENTIONAL, WHICH
WAS GREAT IN MANY WAYS, AND
ALSO HAD SOME DRAWBACKS.
WAS THIS MEMOIR A WAY TO
FIGURE OUT YOUR HISTORY AS
WELL AS YOUR FATHER'S?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT REALLY
WAS.
I THINK IT WAS FIGURING OUT
WHAT I CAN DO.
AND IT'S FUNNY THAT I
REALIZED I WAS A WRITER AND
I WANTED TO SORT OF TAKE MY
OWN ARTISTIC, YOU KNOW, THIS
IS MY PLACE IN THE WORLD.
BUT THE FIRST THING THAT
REALLY HIT WAS ME WRITING
ABOUT MY DAD.
AND THAT WAS ALWAYS, IT'S A
FUNNY -- I'M SORT OF
TREADING A FUNNY LINE THERE
NOW, TRYING TO BE LIKE, OH,
HERE I AM, TANYA WARD
GOODMAN, THE WRITER ABOUT
TINKERTOWN, BECAUSE I THINK
I WAS ALWAYS -- THAT WAS THE
THING I FELL BACK ON TO MAKE
ME INTERESTING, WAS MY DAD.
BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT, I
THOUGHT, THERE'S MORE TO ME,
BUT HERE I AM LIKE KIND OF
COMING INTO THE WORLD AS A
WRITER WRITING ABOUT MY DAD.
>> YOU HAVE SOME WONDERFUL
ANECDOTES ABOUT YOUR
CHILDHOOD.
HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THINGS
LIKE THAT WITH SUCH CLARITY?
I ALWAYS WONDER ABOUT THAT
IN MEMOIRS.
WAS IT THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT?
>> I THINK THE CHILDHOOD
ANECDOTES WERE REALLY JUST
THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT, AND I
THINK MY -- I GREW UP IN THE
MOUNTAINS.
THERE WERE ALMOST NO OTHER
FRIENDS THAT I HAD.
I MEAN, ANY KID FRIENDS I
HAD LIVED FAR AWAY, WE HAD
TO DRIVE TO THEIR HOUSE.
AND SO I WAS JUST SPENDING
MOST OF THE TIME WITH MY
DAD, AND HE WAS MY BEST
FRIEND.
AND SO ALL MY CHILDHOOD
MEMORIES REALLY, THE SUPER
CEMENTED ONES, ARE ABOUT MY
DAD.
>> I LOVE THE ONE WHEN
YOU'RE IN SOMEPLACE, I MEAN,
HE TOOK YOU -- HE LOVED
GOING ON THE ROAD.
HE WAS AN OLD CARNIVAL GUY.
AND YOU'RE IN A RESTAURANT
SOMEWHERE AND A WAITRESS
SAYS, HOYT ATKINS IS HERE, A
COUNTRY SINGER, AND YOUR DAD
SAID, WELL, YOU TELL HOYT
ATKINS THAT MS. TANYA WARD
IS HERE.
THAT'S WONDERFUL.
>> IT WAS GREAT.
I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS IN
A PARADE WITH HIM.
ALL HIS CARS WERE PAINTED UP
AND DECORATED.
HE WAS ALWAYS MR. FLASH.
SO I FELT LIKE I WAS A
LITTLE CELEBRITY, EVEN IF I
WAS JUST KICKING AROUND IN
SHORTS AND PAINT-SPATTERED
LEGS.
>> WAS HIS DIAGNOSIS OF
ALZHEIMER'S PART OF YOUR
IMPETUS TO START DOCUMENTING
HIS LIFE, WHEN HE COULD
STILL REMEMBER THINGS?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT WAS, AND
I STARTED THINKING, HOW DO I
PIN THIS DOWN?
BECAUSE ALL THOSE STORIES WE
REALLY TAKE FOR GRANTED, YOU
HEAR THEM AND GO, OH, YEAH,
YEAH, I LOVE THAT STORY.
OH, BLAH, CAN YOU STOP?
I WANT TO GO DO SOMETHING
ELSE.
BUT WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED, I
ACTUALLY GOT A VIDEO CAMERA,
AND I THOUGHT, OH, I'LL BE A
DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER, AND I
REALIZED VERY QUICKLY THAT I
WAS NOT A FILMMAKER.
I WOULD FORGET TO TURN THE
BATTERY ON, I WOULD LOSE THE
MICROPHONE.
I'M NOT A FILM PERSON.
BUT I REALLY AM A WRITER, SO
I JUST STARTED ASKING HIM AS
MANY THINGS AS I COULD, AND
WRITING THEM DOWN, AND
REALLY TRYING TO REMEMBER
EVERYTHING THAT I HAD AND
WRITE IT DOWN, BECAUSE I
KNEW IT WOULD GO AWAY.
AND I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE
THAT FOR MY KIDS, THAT I
DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THEN, BUT
FOR MYSELF, TOO, AND MY
FAMILY.
>> THERE'S A PART WHEN
YOU'RE TALKING TO ROSS, YOUR
DAD, ON THE PHONE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FOLLOWING
THE PROGRESSION OF THE
DISEASE.
HIS MIND WANDERS.
HE DRIFTS OFF THE PHONE AND
YOU'RE THERE IN LOS ANGELES,
AND YOU HEAR HIM POUNDING
WITH BOTTLE CAPS ON
SOMETHING IN THE MUSEUM, AND
YOU REALIZE, HE'S DOING WHAT
HE LOVES TO DO.
AND YOU HOPE THAT EVENTUALLY
YOU CAN DO THAT.
>> YES.
>> HOW DID WITNESSING HIM
SORT OF REDUCE TO THOSE CORE
ELEMENTS OF HIS EXISTENCE
IMPACT YOU ON YOUR OWN
JOURNEY?
>> I THINK IT MADE ME SEE --
I MEAN, HIS ART WAS SUCH A
STRONG PART OF HIM THAT EVEN
AT THE VERY END WHEN HE WAS
LIVING IN AN ALZHEIMER'S
FACILITY, HE WAS HOLDING
STRAWS AND THINGS AS IF THEY
WERE A PAINTBRUSH, AND HE
WAS PAINTING IN THE AIR.
HIS NEED TO MAKE A MARK WAS
SO GIGANTIC, AND THE SORT OF
IDEA THAT HE WOULD JUST
CONSTANTLY MAKE ART, NO
MATTER WHAT IT WAS, IT WAS,
WOW, LIKE HOW DO I FIND THAT
IN MYSELF.
AND I HAD TO KIND OF TAKE
MYSELF OUT OF TINKERTOWN AND
OUT OF HIS VISION TO KIND OF
FIND MY OWN.
AND THIS STORY, EVEN THOUGH
IT IS ABOUT HIM, IT'S MY
EXPERIENCE THERE AND WHAT IT
FELT LIKE FOR ME, AND TO DO
THAT AND TO SORT OF
SEPARATE, I THINK IT WAS A
WAY OF SEPARATING MYSELF A
LITTLE BIT.
BUT NOW I FEEL EDGY IF I
DON'T WRITE, AND I GET IT.
I DON'T THINK I GOT IT AS
MUCH AS HE DID.
I DON'T THINK I'M -- AND
THAT'S, IN A WAY, GOOD
BECAUSE I CAN FUNCTION AND
TAKE THE KIDS PLACES AND GET
PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR SOCCER
AND WHATEVER.
BUT I HAVE THAT NEED TO
CREATE AND TO MAKE
SOMETHING, AND I FEEL A
LITTLE TWITCHY IF I DON'T.
>> IT'S CALLED 'LEAVING
TINKERTOWN,' AND YOU
INITIALLY COME BACK FROM LOS
ANGELES TO TAKE CARE OF HIM
WHEN HE FIRST GETS THE
DIAGNOSIS, ALONG WITH YOUR
STEPMOTHER AND OTHERS, BUT
EVENTUALLY YOU REALIZE YOU
HAVE TO LEAVE AND PICK UP
YOUR OWN LIFE.
YOU DO COME BACK A LOT.
>> I DO.
>> BUT WHAT WAS IT LIKE
COMING TO TERMS WITH THAT
DECISION?
IT'S REALLY TOUGH FOR A
>> IT WAS AMAZINGLY HARD.
I THINK I CAME HOME REALLY
BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY
THING I COULD THINK TO DO.
THE DIAGNOSIS WAS SO
GIGANTIC, IT JUST SHOOK MY
LIFE APART AND I COULDN'T
THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE,
BECAUSE UP UNTIL THAT POINT
I'D HAD BOYFRIENDS AND
PEOPLE AND WHATEVER, BUT I
HADN'T HAD ANYTHING THAT WAS
AS STEADY AND AS CERTAIN AS
MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DAD.
AND HOLY SMOKES, I HAVE TO
GO HOME.
AND MY STEPMOTHER REALLY
NEEDED HELP.
I MEAN, SHE REALLY WAS DOING
THE BULK OF THE CARETAKING
AND THE BUILDING.
>> BUILDING THE MUSEUM.
>> GOD, SHE REALLY WAS
TAKING CARE OF SO MANY
THINGS.
AND I THINK WHEN I CAME
HOME, I DIDN'T TOTALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT, AND IT WAS
SURPRISING TO ME TO JUST
KIND OF POP INTO THIS WORLD
THAT SHE HAD REALLY BUILT.
AND AT A CERTAIN POINT, I
THINK IT WAS PARTIALLY THEIR
COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER AND
THE WAY THAT THEIR
RELATIONSHIP -- I SAW THEIR
RELATIONSHIP AS SUCH A
PARTNERSHIP, AND THE WAY
THAT IT WORKED, AND I
REALIZED, I AM THE DAUGHTER,
MY DAD AND I HAVE THIS VERY
SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP, BUT
THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU MAKE A NEW FAMILY
OUTSIDE YOUR FAMILY.
LIKE AT A CERTAIN POINT, YOU
HAVE TO MOVE YOUR CAMPFIRE
OUTSIDE THE CIRCLE AND START
YOUR OWN.
AND I FOUND THIS PERSON WHO
REALLY PROVED TO BE A GREAT
PARTNER AND A REALLY, OH, MY
GOSH, LIKE I WANT TO BUILD
SOMETHING WITH THIS THAT IS
ME AND SORT OF OUR OWN
SPACE.
AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY HARD.
IT WAS REALLY HARD.
AT THAT POINT, MY DAD WAS
VERY -- I MEAN, HE WAS
REALLY FORGETTING A LOT, BUT
IT WAS INCREDIBLY HARD TO
LEAVE CARLA.
>> YOUR STEPMOTHER.
>> YES, BECAUSE WE HAD MADE
THIS TEAM, AND I FELT LIKE,
OH, GOD, I HATE TO
DISAPPOINT PEOPLE.
>> I KNOW THAT FEELING.
>> AND I REALLY DON'T WANT
TO LEAVE YOU IN THE LURCH,
BUT I HAVE TO GO DO THIS
OTHER THING.
>> SHE WAS VERY
UNDERSTANDING.
>> SHE WAS INCREDIBLY
UNDERSTANDING.
SHE IS JUST A REMARKABLE
PERSON.
>> YOU HAVE THIS WONDERFUL
JUXTAPOSITION BETWEEN YOUR
FATHER'S LAST DAYS AND THE
BIRTH OF YOUR FIRST CHILD.
IT'S ALMOST BRINGING A
SYMMETRY OF LIFE AND DEATH.
DID GOING THROUGH THIS
JOURNEY WITH YOUR FATHER
CLARIFY WHAT YOU WANT FOR
YOUR OWN LIFE?
>> I THINK IT DID.
I THINK I AM MUCH MORE
WILLING TO SAY, YES, TO
EVERYTHING, BECAUSE I
REALIZE WITH MY DAD, YOU
JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH
TIME YOU HAVE.
LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
AND I THINK I WANTED TO HAVE
KIDS RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I
FELT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF
I'M GOING TO FORGET, OR WHO
KNOWS, A TRUCK IS GOING TO
RUN OVER ME, OR WHO KNOWS.
BUT I REALLY WANTED TO SHARE
MY LIFE WITH THEM, MY
FAMILY, AND FOR ME EVERY
EXPERIENCE NOW -- IF
SOMEBODY SAYS, HEY, DO YOU
WANT TO GO, MY FAMILY JUST
HIKED THE INCA TRAIL, WHAT
DO YOU THINK, DO YOU WANT TO
DO THAT, I'M LIKE, YEAH.
YES, OH, I DO.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY
CHANGED ME, BECAUSE I THINK
I WAS A LITTLE TIMID WHEN I
CAME HOME AND I DIDN'T
REALLY KNOW, AND I KIND OF
GOT STUCK IN LITTLE PLACES
AND I WOULD JUST DRIFT FROM
ONE PLACE TO THE NEXT.
IT REALLY MADE ME SORT OF
TAKE CHARGE OF, HEY, THIS IS
YOUR LIFE.
YOU HAVE THIS TIME, AND YOU
SHOULD DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
>> THAT'S TOTALLY THE SPIRIT
OF TINKERTOWN.
>> YES, IT IS.
>> TANYA, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR TALKING WITH US ABOUT
THIS BOOK.
AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE
THIS ON THE WEB AND HAVE A
LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> OF COURSE. THANK YOU.