Just as a brief postscript to this piece: at that 1992 Cage event I remember him reading some of his mesostics (a poetic form he was ready committed to) , some dedicated to Erik Satie, who was a big inspiration to him ( and a true eccentric, in fact the very source of the title of this column as the author of the work La Belle Excentrique). While I lined up to get his autograph at the end of the talk, a young woman in front of me —likely an art student— asked Cage to draw her a cat. It was hilarious. Cage looked at her like in a combination of disbelief and amusement, and then did draw her a cat. I wish I had come up with such an original request.
Just as a brief postscript to this piece: at that 1992 Cage event I remember him reading some of his mesostics (a poetic form he was ready committed to) , some dedicated to Erik Satie, who was a big inspiration to him ( and a true eccentric, in fact the very source of the title of this column as the author of the work La Belle Excentrique). While I lined up to get his autograph at the end of the talk, a young woman in front of me —likely an art student— asked Cage to draw her a cat. It was hilarious. Cage looked at her like in a combination of disbelief and amusement, and then did draw her a cat. I wish I had come up with such an original request.