Remembering Alan Kotok

I am a musician friend of Judie Kotok so I knew her much better than I did 
Alan but it wasn't long before I learned to appreciate Alan for many of the 
same things as his professional colleagues, so well remembered on 7 June 
2007.
Of course much was also spoken of food.  But not so much was said about 
animals.  Yes, Alan loved good meals in the presence of good company.  But 
he thought at least cats should have the same respect.  One of my favourite 
recollections is from the years at the Harvard, Massachusetts house.  At the 
end of the evening Alan would sit at the kitchen breakfast table, break open 
the carton of heavy cream & watch with appreciation as Legato ("Gatti") the 
large yellow tigerstripe would lap up every bit of a bowl of it.  Cat cream! 
It seemed such a satisfying way to end the active part of the day.
My last memory of Alan was characteristic.  We had a chat at Memorial Hall, 
Harvard during intermission of a particularly fine Boston Early Music 
Festival Concert Series event just about a month before his death.  He had 
mentioned Judie's unused Boston Ballet subscription to me earlier in the 
season but now he seemed especially anxious that the remaining tickets find 
appreciative recipients.  I wasn't planning to spend Mother's Day 2006 at 
the Ballet & had a usual 2nd Sunday rehearsal.  But I recollected that I 
hadn't yet even been to a first class ballet performance in all my time in 
this city.  I wanted to make Alan feel better & remembered how Judie would 
have wanted me to enjoy her ticket.  The last of so many kind favours.  I'm 
so glad I went.  Those of you here may remember how it poured down rain & 
flooded all that day.  But I was totally absorbed in my first live 
Balanchine ballet & a premiere production of the company's version of the 
Carmen story.  My sadness is that I didn't take the time to thank Alan again 
immediately after & tell him how much I enjoyed it.
Anne Kazlauskas
alk(at)mit.edu