Natalie Wood's birthday was today—she would've turned 74. When she died, I was in the seventh grade and was transfixed by the concept of a famous, beautiful actress dying suddenly, tragically and mysteriously, probably mainly because she was a favorite and from the era of my mother.

I remembered that a classmate, Heather Palmettiere, had done a presentation on print ads using a RainTree ad Wood had done, so I begged Heather for it. She could not figure out why I wanted it. Nor could I, really.

But I still have it.