Words to Live By: Artists We Lost in 2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/23/arts/music/artists-who-died-2019.html

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At their best, the artists who died this year could make us see the world in new ways — even as they made us laugh and cry. Here is a tribute to some of them, in their own words.

— Toni Morrison

Author, born 1931 (Read the obituary.)

— I.M. Pei

Architect, born 1917 (Read the obituary.)

— Agnes Varda

Filmmaker, born 1928 (Read the obituary.)

— Luke Perry

Actor, born 1966 (Read the obituary.)

— Jessye Norman

Opera singer, born 1945 (Read the obituary.)

— Harold Bloom

Literary critic, born 1930 (Read the obituary.)

— Alicia Alonso

Ballet dancer, born 1920 (Read the obituary.)

— Robert Ryman

Painter, born 1930 (Read the obituary.)

— Juice WRLD

Rapper, born 1998 (Read the obituary.)

— Hal Prince

Theater producer and director, born 1928 (Read the obituary.)

— Ric Ocasek

Singer, guitarist and songwriter, born 1944 (Read the obituary.)

— Doris Day

Actress, born 1922 (Read the obituary.)

— Mary Oliver, “When Death Comes”

Poet, born 1935 (Read the obituary.)

— Ginger Baker

Drummer, born 1939 (Read the obituary.)

— Diahann Carroll

Actress, born 1935 (Read the obituary.)

— Cesar Pelli

Architect, born 1926 (Read the obituary.)

— Robert Hunter, “Truckin’,” the Grateful Dead

Lyricist, born 1941 (Read the obituary.)

— Cokie Roberts

Journalist, born 1943 (Read the obituary.)

— Mable Lee

Tap dancer, born 1921 (Read the obituary.)

— John Singleton

Filmmaker, born 1968 (Read the obituary.)

— Florence Knoll Bassett

Designer, born 1917 (Read the obituary.)

— Rip Torn

Actor, born 1931 (Read the obituary.)

— Mel A. Tomlinson

Ballet dancer, born 1954 (Read the obituary.)

— Carol Channing

Actress, born 1921 (Read the obituary.)

— Jonas Mekas

Filmmaker, born 1922 (Read the obituary.)

— Franco Zeffirelli

Opera and film director, born 1923 (Read the obituary.)

— Valerie Harper

Actress, born 1939 (Read the obituary.)

— Jonathan Miller

Theater and opera director, born 1934 (Read the obituary.)

— Clora Bryant

Musician, born 1927 (Read the obituary.)

— Tim Conway

Comedian, born 1933 (Read the obituary.)

— Dr. John

Musician, born 1941 (Read the obituary.)

— C.Y. Lee

Author, born 1915 (Read the obituary.)

— Robert Evans

Film producer, born 1930 (Read the obituary.)

— André Previn

Musician, born 1929 (Read the obituary.)

— Carolee Schneemann

Performance artist, born 1939 (Read the obituary.)

— Christopher Rouse

Composer, born 1949 (Read the obituary.)

— John Giorno

Poet, born 1936 (Read the obituary.)