Sometimes I think about meeting artists I admire.

[Ptah]

But after thanking them for entertaining me, I can't think of what else I might say.

[Aristus]

1. I got lucky. I got to meet legendary fantasist Harlan Ellison back in 2006.

After introducing myself and expressing my admiration, my mind froze, and I couldn't think of a thing to say. Fortunately, Ellison was a non-stop talker and a brilliant conversationalist, and he brought up some topics that made our brief conversation feel very personal and individualized, rather than a carbon-copy chat he had with every admirer.

Despite Ellison's reputation as a bad-tempered, profane curmudgeon, he was uniformly charming and gracious with his fans.

I had the experience of my life when I ended up having dinner that night with him, his wife, and a few other fans. I still didn't have a lot to say, but was nearly overwhelmed by the stunning breadth and intelligence of his conversation.

[Ptah]

6. My siblings and I got to meet Edgar Bergen.

He was in our rural prairie locale, perusing steam tractors that were still working.

It was 1961 or 1962.

We have his autograph!

[highplainsdem]

8. Good for Harlan. Brilliant guy. I always enjoyed his nonfiction rants nearly as much

as his fiction.

I was wishing the other day that he was still around, since I'd've loved to hear what he'd have to say about generative AI and the writers and actors strike.

He had a mouth, and he could scream when he wanted to.

And he actually screamed at WGA in the past for NOT being tougher, for not holding out for deals that were better for writers: https://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2008/02/15/harlan-ellison-speaks-up-on-the-writers-strike-settlement/ .

I imagine what he'd have to say about the current situation and what the studios want would be very entertaining.

Not printable in a family newspaper, but entertaining.

[Irish_Dem]

2. There are so many questions to ask them.

How did they get started as an artist?
Who or what inspired them?
What kind of art do they like the most.
What pieces of their work do they like the most? Not like. Why?

What are they trying to communicate with their art?
How do they see the world in way that is different from everyone else.

The list goes on and on.

[yonder]

3. "Where's your next gig, performance, exhibition, reading, etc."

Has worked as an ice breaker for me. It can open the door to other subjects.

Stay away from shop talk related to their work.

Ymmv

[PJMcK]

4. Did you ever see the film Midnight In Paris?

That’s what happens to a screenwriter. It’s very clever and entertaining. Cathy Bates as Gertrude Stein is brilliant!

In my work, I’ve met many superstars. Mostly, they like to be treated as normal folks. It’s always best, I’ve found, to just ask polite questions and listen closely. After all, they put on their pants one leg at a time, too.

[Mr.Bill]

5. Very good movie. n/t

[highplainsdem]

7. Artists, even very famous ones, are just people. And their art is their work,

which they may or may not want to talk about at length. Being complimented on it is nice - and probably especially nice if you can tell them they inspired you to learn more about that art, to try it yourself or encourage someone else to try it. And if you meet them in a setting for fans to meet artists, they're probably ready for a lot of comments and specific questions about their work. (Which they may or may not be able to answer. I read somewhere once about Isaac Asimov telling a fan he couldn't remember much about an early story the fan had some questions about.)

But if you run into them elsewhere, it's probably best to treat them as normally as possible.

[milestogo]

9. I think about sitting on a plane next to actors I've admired

and discussing their performances for hours. Just running into them by chance in first class.