In part one of a two part post Charles Kessler reflects on the life of Clyfford Still and stories he uncovered while writing his masters thesis on Clyfford Still at UCLA in 1973.

In addition to anecdotes about Still's interactions with collectors Fred Weisman and Betty Freeman, and painter Richard Diebenkorn, Kessler addresses Still's notorious hostility noting: "I can understand why Warhol and the next generation reacted against Still's kind of macho posturing and grandiose pretensions – but a part of me admires his heroic ambition and his seriousness of purpose; and I sometimes wish we had more of that today."