David Cohen

Profile Updated: July 19, 2023
Spouse/Partner, children, grands and steps: Carolyn Cohen , my wife of 37 years; Jake Cohen, 33, son
More about Spouse/Partner or Special Friends: I met Carolyn when I was 34 years old. She was, and still is, the most beautiful woman I have ever known, More…and the wisest and the kindest. I would, quite literally, be lost without her ( Those of you who knew me won't find that hard to believe). Our "marriage" was kind of an impromptu affair, since neither of us was, or is, religious. We were married on a southbound express train somewhere in the middle of the Rajasthani desert by an itinerant sadhu. A year later she made an honest man of me before a judge in Santa Monica. Our son, Jake, who never cared about anything except sports and music, fronted a honky-tonk band during his twenties. One of my greatest pleasures was going to his gigs and dancing with Carolyn in the back of some whiskey-soaked dive bar. To my great relief, he is now studying Chinese Medicine.
Your personal or professional website: twosagesacupuncture.com
Career History: I have been a Licensed Acupuncturist and Doctor of Chinese Medicine since 1985, and a Professor of Chinese Medicine at Yo San University of Chinese Medicine for almost thirty years. I have had a private practice in the Beverly Hills area since that time.
City and State: Pioneertown, CA USA
Education History since Swarthmore:

I studied Creative Writing at San Francisco State in the early seventies, and got a Masters Degree in Fine Arts, which I never cashed in. I left the country abruptly and spent the next three years wandering India and southeast Asia, landing finally in L.A., where I attempted a career in screenwriting at which I had no talent. In the early 80's I began the study of Chinese Medicine, a life-long pursuit. At the time I studied, there was no accredited degree. I sat for the California Boards in 1985, and was licensed to practice.

Open Category for Whatever you want to tell about yourself:

I was always one of the proverbial 99th percentile, and then I went to Swarthmore and was surrounded by high achievers, and this set my expectations for life. But as it turned out, I was not one of those, and I have had to come to terms with that. I am a fairly ordinary man, of modest accomplishments and limited skills. But I have had the privilege of service as a teacher and a healer and some modest gifts in that arena; I have a remarkable woman for a wife, and a son who makes me proud. Still, it has taken me all of this time to let go of the grudges that accompanied my expectations. It feels good to be 71, and to have accrued some modicum of wisdom.

Military? Alternative Service? Peace Corps? Protestor? Canada? If none of the above apply to you how did you relate to the war? Personally, through friends, family. Leave blank if you don't want to answer the question.

When I moved back to California, emboldened by the numbers of like-minded folks, I resolved to resist, come what may. Bill Clinton and I were born on the same day. We got a pass.

Losses, illness, challenges? Spiritual/religious musings?

Having practiced and taught Chinese Medicine for over thirty years, my world view is pretty much that of a Daoist. I never thought I would live this long, and now that I'm here, and none too much the worse for wear, I am just profoundly grateful. It took me a long time to get there.

Favorite memory from Swarthmore years:

...The time the "girl of my dreams" (nameless) finally acquiesced to come home (to Media) with me and my damn BSA wouldn't start. I kicked at that thing until both ankles were swollen, then gave up and called some under-appreciative friend (also nameless) at 3 AM.....Playing poker all night in ML, then sleeping through Tom Artin's Medieval Lit class. One day, Artin took John Lewis aside and asked him, "Does Cohen sleep in all his classes? Or is it just mine?" "Just yours," Lewis said, " It's the only one he shows up for.".....I remember the meatball sandwiches at the DeVille Diner at 4:30 AM after poker....Mark Smith's "quasi all-nighters...the sweet smell of the infield dirt with the thaw of spring...and the sweetness of springtime in the Crum woods...and the squalid, shit-hole apartment over Sue's restaurant in the Ville which I shared with Jay Kaplan and his dog, Heady, where we threw the most outrageous parties. I was particularly fond of the dog because she never threw up on the rug....and I remember the summer of '67 with Susan Bonthron in San Francisco and East Palo Alto...

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Aug 19, 2024 at 4:33 AM
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Apr 13, 2023 at 11:32 AM

Posted on: Apr 11, 2023 at 7:48 PM

I closed my Los Angeles practice for good in June of 2020, and since then have been in semi-"retirement" in the little desert town of Joshua Tree, California with my wife of 43 years, Carolyn. I feel like I'm working harder than ever, but that's probably because I've slowed down a bit. I count myself incredibly fortunate to still be doing what I love at this age.

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Jun 10, 2022 at 1:41 PM

Yay

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Posted on: Sep 19, 2017 at 1:29 PM

Favorite memories. Some faded to the point that I don't remember all the names. Like that basement snack bar with the mural on the brick wall (I actually still have one of the bricks from when it was demolished). Anyway, the memory. Sitting at a table there freshman year listening to Dave Cohen relate in great detail all of his high school sexual exploits. Must have taken better than two hours. I was very impressed.

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Sep 13, 2017 at 4:33 PM

Paul was a wise and gentle soul. Easy to be with easy to talk to. I remember him with tremendous affection.

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