The “Anatolian,” of course, was accurate. The “arrogant”? I was elated by this characterization. “At last,” I said to myself, “I’ve made it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to be.” I believe every artist is, as he has to be, arrogant. You may not go along with that; the word has unfortunate connotations. But whatever else an artist may be saying in his work, he is certainly saying, “I’m important!”

Arrogance, when it’s depicted on the screen or stage, is usually projected by boisterous behavior. Not so in life. The most arrogant people I’ve known—people whom I admire for this quality as well as for the work they do—are often quiet with the special ease that comes from being sure of themselves.