Ep 010 - Dave

Right in Front of My Face

I first saw Dave Mampel at a 5 year old’s birthday party last summer. He was the entertainment - called himself Daffy Dave, and he mesmerized a group of kids in a way I’d never seen. He was magical, hilarious, and completely entertaining. And when I saw that he was teaching a magic class at a community center this winter, I immediately signed up my 8 year old son. I described Dave to a friend by saying he was the cool uncle we all wished we’d had - gentle, patient, and willing to show us the tricks. After the first class, I picked up my son and asked Dave how he got into clowning. He laughed and said, “oh man, that’s a story. In fact, I wrote a book about it!” His book is called Coyote Spirit and tells about his journey from ordained minister to professional clowngician. I sat down with Dave to talk about his book, his life, and overall perspective - Daffy Dave is a really deep dude.