MICHAEL LERNER R.I.P.

 
I spotted Michael Lerner in the kitchen of a Hollywood Hills mansion at an after Oscars party in 1982 when I was brand new to LA and told him I was a great admirer of his acting. This was a decade before he was nominated for an Oscar for BARTON FINK. And he responded that he was a great admirer of my poetry, mentioning specifically my then seven-year-old book ROCKY DIES YELLOW, totally surprising and delighting me. Turned out he was a book collector, like me. Everytime I ran into him over the years, we'd talk books, as well as  other creative endeavors. An extremely nice person, who will be missed.