“in his memory (starman)” is an interactive Flash piece dedicated to Zalmen Rosen, my maternal grandfather.

My grandparents are survivors of the Holocaust who immigrated to the United States when my mother was just 2 years old. They had very little money to start a new life and could barely speak a word of English. Eventually settling in St. Louis, Missouri, he and my grandmother raised my mother, Lila, and made a home where they lived until his passing in 1992. My grandfather was a very sweet and honest man. I have extremely fond memories of him and the time that I was fortunate to spend with him. The thing I remember most is playing a simple hand of cards, trying to beat him in an arm wrestling match, or just throwing a baseball in a game of catch.

To this day I cannot think of a heart more pure than his. Although I can’t fathom what horror he and my grandmother must have experienced during the war, I believe it was a miracle that they survived. If it were not for this miracle, my mother, my brother, my sister, nor myself would ever have had an opportunity to experience the greatest miracle of all, life. Their courage and bravery will never be forgotten as we all survive with his loving memory and with the love of my grandmother, Rose.

This piece is my way of communing with Zalmen who I have nicknamed starman. It is a continuation of previous work where I think of technology and cyberspace as a means of creating a realm in which he can embody a sort of physical form.