*David, what a great story!* *Thanks for the details--the song et al.*
*I'm forwarding your post to Herskowitz, who I saw today at the burial ceremony for Patty.* *Scott* On Thu, Aug 24, 2023 at 2:39 PM Dave Tetzlaff <[email protected]> wrote: > Patty had the desk next to mine in the TA bullpen on the 6th floor of > Vilas Hall at UW-Madison ComArts 1978-1981. She recruited me into the TA > union (TAA), and she, I, and Richard Herskowitz were all comrades during > the 1980 TAA strike. She approached the strike with typical energy and > creativity. She got T-shirts printed up with a detourned version of a > common UW design featuring Bucky Badger – but holding a TAA picket sign. > Then she created these alternative lyrics to the college fight song "On > Wisconsin" (etched forever in my memory): > Off Wisconsin, Off Wisconsin > Shut this factory down > Tell old Irving Shain that he > Can't push TA's around > What the U calls education > Really is a crime > Strike now and > Fight Fight Fight > We'll win this time. > > From the get go, I considered her one of those rare individuals who are > like an elemental force of nature. I shall share just one paradigmatic > anecdote: > > There were 7 or 8 of us in that office, and there was one phone for the > whole room near the door. Patty didn't spend much time at her desk, but the > majority of the times that phone rang, it was someone trying to contact > her. I began to feel a little bit like her secretary. One day as I was > alone in the room, I answered the phone, and an accented voice said, > "Isz Pat-ti there?" > I replied, as I had so often before. "No, sorry.". > "Oh, shhiit" said the voice. > "Can I take a message?" I asked. > "Yes, Tell her Werner Herzog called." > "Uh... [beat] *The* Werner Herzog??" > "Yes." > "Uh [beat] I like your films." (Yeah, that was the best I could come up > with in the moment.) > "Thank You, Good bye." > Later that day, I came back to the office after holding class, and Patty > was there at her desk. in my most faux casual 'no big deal' tone, I said, > "Oh, Patty, Werner Herzog called for you." And she replied just as casually > without even looking up from what she was doing, "Oh yeah? What did he > want?" > At which point I think I uttered something like a scream... > > She was, in every way, irreplaceable. But her work, and her personal > example to everyone who knew her, will not soon be forgotten. RIP, indeed, > dear Patricia. > -- > Frameworks mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org >
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