Leonard Baskin

Photographed by Paul Shoul

Memories

Barbara E Smith: So much can be said about Leonard. As an antiquarian bookseller who set up at many Book Fairs, I always loved it when Leonard found something in my booth he hadn’t seen before. What an eye he had and exquisite taste in anything printed!

Oonagh Doherty: The night he died there was an insanely unseasonal wind and hail storm, biggest hail stones I ever saw. Sky blacker than I’d seen it. Do we still get storms like that? We all said, “what the hell is going on with this weather?”
A historical/literary note: in the fifties he was close to Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath. She was teaching at Smith, also her Alma mater. Baskin and his wife feature in Plath’s descriptive diaries. He and Hughes remained close for years. ? All their lives?

Martin Carrera: Leonard he pissed me off when he insulted Diego Rivera. But it was his way of telling me if he is such a great artist defend your belief. So he pissed me off, but also taught me available lesson. Defend your position. His art is out of this world.

Laurie Clark: A kind neighbor. Always said hello to this little girl when we passed on Lyman Rd. We loved to play in the land around his house. Lyman Estates. Many happy memories and where I learned to love birds and plants.

Karen J Andrade: I give history tours now so have to be prepared for the weather for my walks. So many times when I’ve walked around with umbrella and it’s not raining I’ve thought of Leonard.