February 19, 2007
Rich and famous sign name of poor and unknown
What's an autograph by Yoko Ono, David Sedaris, the late Spalding Gray, or architect Frank Gehry worth? Better yet, what's it worth if said celebrities sign not their names but that of the autograph seeker? Paul Schmelzer got more than 70 people--including Jesse Ventura, Wim Wenders, Noam Chomsky, and the voice of Homer Simpson--to sign his Germanic, unfamous name. Funnier still is those who didn't sign but took time to mail back a reply: Mikhail Baryhshnikov, Tom Clancy, etc.