▁dream ▁from ▁ 9 ▁until ▁ 1 7 . ▁ ▁Dam ski ▁attended ▁L akes ide ▁Academy ▁for ▁Boys ▁in ▁Seattle — l ater ▁simply ▁Lake wood ▁Academy — where ▁he ▁was ▁first ▁t utor ed ▁in ▁the ▁Class ics — the ▁Greek ▁and ▁Latin ▁languages ▁and ▁history . ▁Dam ski ' s ▁parents ▁would ▁split - up ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁moving ▁to ▁Pal m ▁Spr ings , ▁California ▁( the ▁home ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁lo ver ) ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁remaining ▁in ▁Seattle . ▁His ▁parents ▁would ▁date ▁others ▁and ▁get ▁married ; ▁ ▁Dam ski ▁later ▁wrote ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁learned ▁from ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁grand m other ▁that ▁step - famil ies ▁taught ▁one ▁how ▁to ▁let ▁go ▁of ▁the ▁past ▁and ▁how ▁to ▁get ▁along ▁with ▁add itions ▁to ▁the ▁family . ▁ ▁The ▁divor ce ▁between ▁Henry ▁and ▁Ruth ie ▁was ▁prolong ed ▁and ▁public — last ing ▁four ▁years — part ly ▁because ▁divor ce ▁was ▁still ▁un common ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁and ▁partly ▁because ▁Dam ski ' s ▁mother ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁minor ▁actress ▁and ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁public ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁jazz ▁and ▁classical ▁music ▁scene . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁contin ual ▁press ▁coverage : ▁" There ▁were ▁pre lim inary ▁divor ce ▁proceed ings ▁and ▁hear ings ; ▁private ▁detect ives ▁and ▁law y ers ▁on ▁each ▁side ; ▁detect ives ▁from ▁my ▁mother ' s ▁new ▁love