Instead of the usual Q & A during his talk, David Selby chose instead to read from his book,"A Better Place". The passages he chose were specifically exerpts about his father, who had died the week before. These photos are taken during that reading.

A great deal has to be said for the fact that David Selby came to the fest at all under those circumstances. No one with any sense would have faulted him if he had chosen to cancel his appearance. But not only didn't he cancel, but the first night he participated in a tribute to Dan Curtis, which must also have been a difficult task. Then, the reading about his father.

I've spoken elsewhere about my first fest in 2003, and how Selby's few words about 9/11 and request for a moment of silence affected me at that time. It was that act that gave me the utmost respect for him not only as an actor, but as a person. I see this as something in the same vein; something that was probably very difficult on a personal level, but something he must have felt very strongly that he needed to do.

Doing the right thing under difficult circumstances is becoming a rare trait these days. And, given that Selby is a favorite target of attack -- along with Lara Parker -- by some who feel that they rate more attention than they have gotten from actors at Festivals, I thought that his dignity and grace under these difficult circumstances deserved to be pointed out.