So. At work, we collaborate with a graphic artist/humorist who creates cartoons that we use on some wine labels and on fun things that we sell in the tasting room -- T-shirts, playing cards, calendars, posters, etc. The artwork is great -- similar to what Ralph Steadman does -- so naturally, it draws attention from the press. People want to interview our cartoonist. They want to chat him up, ask him about wine and art and politics. They want to write about him and include his photo with their articles.
So I have been calling him. Pretty much daily. And he lives in France, so I have to get to work very, very early so I can call at a decent time. But no one ever answers. The phone just beeps at me and then hangs up.
Out of desperation, I sent him a fax. Yesterday.
And I was so, so happy when I came to work this morning and found a reply from him.
And then I read the reply.
The first sentence: "As bizarre as it may seem, I haven't answered the phone for a good fifteen years."
Apparently, he only communicates by fax. And that is how he plans to handle all of his interviews: Reporters must fax in their questions. And he will fax back his responses.
Which is just great, since I'm sure every reporter is dying to break out that fax machine from the '80s. But at least this is better than hand-writing letters, licking envelopes and sending them via air mail. Let's just hope the reporters think so, too, and still want to do the story.
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