The first thing you need to know about Tom is how to set a trap. I was told by a guy leaving just as I started, that he habitually roamed through our studio building very early in the morning. All you had to do to know if he’d been in your space was leave something annoying in view, like an empty soda can, a pizza box – or even just a candy wrapper. If it had been sitting on the floor, or a chair, and was gone, Tom had checked up on you.

The second part is tougher. I honestly thought I’d made a mistake coming to Carbondale. You don’t need to know the particulars, except that Tom made some wrong decisions, and it reached the point where I’d had enough. Oh, and as a setup, here’s your free Tom trap tip #2: if his back is acting up, put him in a chair he can’t easily get out of. We had a fight. I remember leaning in and seeing my spit fly. I remember Tom flinching. I know he stood up for himself too - he must have - but I was in a rage, and that cancels most of a memory. I DO recall thinking, “This is it, I’m gonna be on my ass outta here.”

The next day was, therefore, an utter surprise. Tom calmly fixed things. Somehow, bafflingly, stubborn vs. stubborn became the beginning of respect. Sure, we still butted heads now and then, just a little – fine tuning our rhythm - but we worked out how to work well together. Very well. I learned what a lifetime of driven creativity looks like – and how to pursue it. Tom gave me that model, and I’ve made it mine. He ran interference for me, more than once, doggedly supporting my right to my own creative determination.  He gave me solid ground on which to stand, and work, and strain.  What a strong-willed, single-minded, generous man Tom Walsh was.  He’s an even finer one now.