Grouches don't like much poetry, but [his writing] very beautifully made you feel miserable. Finally I tried to arrange to meet the poet, and here comes this guy who looked like Denzel Washington. And he was very pleasant and extremely polite, and I can't tell you my disappointment. 'Well, how do you do?' he says, and 'Nice to meet you,' and he was so very proper and wore a tie that wasn't dirty.… I got pretty upset about it. But still, before the day was over I liked his poetry so much I forgave him. [Now] I have a whole collection [of his work]. I use it to hold up one of the legs of my piano."^[1]