I have only this to say about John Waters, my friend: As a SCAD grad student and aspiring educator in Lacoste, France, in 2008, I watched John work with a student in the computer lab for five minutes, guiding him on an assignment, offering criticism and encouragement with an ease and authority unlike any I had ever seen, and those five minutes became the very foundation of my teaching principles. I learned more about being an educator during that interaction than anything I learned about it before or since. I owe him my eternal gratitude for inspiring in me the love of my profession. I never told him that, and I will never get the chance, but in telling all of you, it is my sincerest hope that you will glean the significance of his loss not only to me, but to anyone who was honored with the privilege of knowing him.
Enjoying moules-frites in Nimes, France, May 5, 2008.