Fauna Hodel (August 1, 1951 – September 30, 2017) was an American author and motivational speaker, who wrote the true-crime memoir One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel, documenting her unusual beginnings and the connection to her grandfather, George Hodel, a prime suspect in the infamous Black Dahlia murder mystery.
Fauna Hodel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 1, 1951 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 30, 2017 (aged 66) |
| Occupation | Author, Motivational Speaker |
| Genre | Memoir, True Crime |
| Notable works | One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel |
| Children | Yvette Gentile, Rasha Pecoraro |
Early life
editBorn August 1, 1951, in San Francisco, Hodel was the first child of 16-year-old Tamar Nais Hodel and the granddaughter of Los Angeles doctor and socialite George Hodel.[1] Through her maternal grandfather, Fauna was of Russian-Jewish ancestry.[2] Fauna's birth father was unknown, and the troubled Tamar gave up Fauna for adoption. Because her father was listed on her birth certificate as an "unknown Negro", Fauna was adopted by an African-American family in Reno, Nevada.[1] Told she was multiracial, Fauna was raised by Jimmie Lee Greenwade (later Faison)[3] and given the name "Patricia Ann Greenwade".[4] She spent her formative years not knowing her name or biological parentage.[5][1]
Fauna later learned about her origins, which revealed her connection to the controversial 1949 incest trial of George Hodel, following accusations by Tamar, as well as George Hodel's connection to the still-unsolved Black Dahlia case.
Career
editHodel's unique perspective on adoption, race relations, and her family history led her to write the unreleased 1991 film Pretty Hattie's Baby, directed by Ivan Passer and starring Alfre Woodard.[6][7] Hodel served as the film's executive producer and creative consultant.[8]
Her memoir One Day She'll Darken: The Mysterious Beginnings of Fauna Hodel [1] (written with J. R. Briamonte) was published by Outskirts Press in 2008. It was re-published in 2019 by Graymalkin Media, including an eight-page photo insert from Hodel's personal collection. The book inspired I Am the Night, a 2019 six-episode limited television series starring Chris Pine and India Eisley, directed by Patty Jenkins.[9]
Hodel spent much of the 2000s as a motivational speaker, talking about racial equality and human rights.[8]
Personal life
editHodel had two children, Yvette Gentile and Rasha Pecoraro.[5] In February 2019, it was announced that Gentile and Pecoraro were producing a podcast, Root of Evil, which delves further into the book, the miniseries adaptation, and their family history.[10][11]
In February 2019, the eight-episode podcast, Root of Evil: The True Story of the Hodel Family and the Black Dahlia, produced by Cadence 13 in conjunction with TNT, premiered. The show ran for eight consecutive weeks and attained a "No. 1 podcast ranking" in the United States.[citation needed]
Death
editHodel died of breast cancer at age 66 on September 30, 2017.[5]
Filmography
edit- I Am the Night (2019 TV series; writer, co-producer)
References
edit- ^ a b c d Chambers, Hannah. "The Wild, True Story That Inspired 'I Am the Night': So. Many. Plot. Twists," Cosmopolitan (January 25, 2019).
- ^ Weller, Sheila (June 1, 2015). Vecchiarelli, Nicole; Bilyeau, Nancy; de Ory, Natalia; Binn, Jason (eds.). "The sins of the father" (PDF). DuJour. 3 (2). New York City, New York, United States: DuJour Media: 160–165. ISSN 2328-8868. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 6, 2019 – via Issuu.
- ^ "Jimmie Lee," One Day She'll Darken website. Accessed Feb. 13, 2019.
- ^ "I am the Night (2019)," History vs. Hollywood. Accessed Feb. 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c Reilly, Phoebe. "‘I Am the Night’: Patty Jenkins and Chris Pine Explore the Black Dahlia Mystery," New York Times (Jan. 24, 2019).
- ^ Dubner, Stephen. "WOMAN OF STEAL," Washington Post (September 26, 1993).
- ^ "Pretty Hattie's Baby," Internet Move Database. Accessed Feb. 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Reviews," One Day She'll Darken website. Accessed Feb. 13. 2019.
- ^ Hoai-Tran Bui (July 2, 2018). "Patty Jenkins and Chris Pine Reunite in a Thrilling Limited Series". Slash Film.
- ^ Gallagher, Caitlin. "What Does The Hodel Family Think Of 'I Am The Night'? Fauna's Daughters Have Given Their Stamp Of Approval," Bustle February 4, 2019.
- ^ McDonnell-Parry, Amelia. "New Podcast Explores Black Dahlia Murder: ‘Root of Evil’ dives into the story of George Hodel, a primary suspect in Elizabeth Short’s 1947 unsolved murder — and it’s told by his great-granddaughters," Rolling Stone (Feb. 8, 2019).