I have met Duane Michals twice. Shortly after learning about his work, through a video I watched at the library for extra credit in my photography class, I moved to New York and discovered that he was listed in the phone book. My girlfriends and I, drunk on red wine, would prank call him just to hear him say hello. He would answer the phone and we'd hang up, we were total wusses. I met him several months later at a opening he was having for the work he did based on Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. I remember I was dressed like a dandy and had a friends big silk scarf tied around my neck in a bow. He came up to my friend and I and introduced himself, of course we were dying. We chatted for a minute and he found out we were both photographers and said "Go and do it. I've done it now you go do it too." I had this inexpensive paperback book of his work with me that was printed in French (even when there is text associated with the image, which is always in his handwriting, was also in French) that he signed for me.
The second time I met him was at a talk and book signing several years later in San Francisco. After his talk we all got in line to have him sign copies of the book he was promoting, which I could not afford but it was a best-of kind of thing anyway. I did have my favorite book of his with me Eros & Thanatos. When it was my turn I handed him my book and sang my praises and he said "Who do I make this out to?" I said Jody Jock. He said "Sorry, I don't do last names." then a second later said "Wait, what's your name?" Jody Jock I say. "Ok, just this once" and hands me back my book.
This was torn from a magazine article about his work while I was traveling between New York and San Francisco. It's glued into my note book.
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