Dupree's Diamond News was one of the top three Grateful Dead fanzines along with Golden Road and Relix. We started publishing in 1985 as Terrapin Flyer, a double-sided free handout that volunteers distributed at Grateful Dead shows all over the country and Europe, too! The handout was made up of set lists from previous shows, reviews, tour dates, and notes of interest. We decided to expand on all these ideas with a magazine.
The magazine started in 1987 and contained all that was in the flyer plus artwork, photographs, in depth reviews, interviews, set analyses, spiritual articles, scene articles, historical articles, games, personal ads, vendor ads, and all sorts of other fun and interesting content. Initially, however, Terrapin Flyer came out of John Dwork's days at Hampshire College where he not only received a degree in The Art and Management of Frisbee, his degree came on a Frisbee. I knew John for years through my brother and mutual friends, and one day he asked me to help out while he had a spiritual adventure in India.
In 1986, after leaving messages all over India for John to get in touch with me, we had a 3-minute international call that forever changed our lives. We put Terrapin Flyer to rest, changed the name to Dupree's Diamond News (DDN), decided to move in a new direction, expanded to a magazine, became equal partners, and embarked on our own golden road.
DDN had a wonderful team/family/staff. John and I were Co-Publishers and Editors. We were blessed over the years with many creative, insightful, and talented people who joined in to help make all our visions come true. Their names fill the masthead of each issue, and their blood, sweat, and tears, as well as their hearts, fill the pages. Every issue of this magazine was a true labor of love. DDN published for over 10 years, including our masterpiece known as our tribute issue, "Garcia, A Grateful Celebration."
Since the magazine stopped publishing, we have all sort of gone our separate ways. We cross paths occasionally, and it’s always warm and friendly, sharing some great moment or memory, and of course a big hug. It is so interesting to see what everyone is doing 15 years later. How DDN impacted all our lives. So, here’s a toast to old friends, new friends, and absent friends!
We have been asked to reprint here some of the pieces from our Tribute issue, and are very excited to relive some of our fondest memories. [We will also be participating on a monthly basis with some articles from our regular magazine issues, so stay tuned.] If you liked these excerpts, and want to see who else contributed their words and pictures to our Tribute issue, you can own one of these rare, mint-condition, collector books direct from our archives for $20 each including shipping and handling. Please contact us at DupreesDiamondNews@yahoo.com with any questions, back issue purchase requests, or if you just wish to make contact. We welcome your communication.
I look forward to hearing from you. Until then, be smart, be safe, and be happy!
Sally Ansorge Mulvey