I met Roger Ebert once. It was in the fall of 2008, on the heels of the release of his book Scorsese. I went to a book signing of his with a friend of mine, and after a long wait in line, I found myself face-to-face with the man who’d shaped my love of movies more than any other.
It was a bittersweet experience. Meeting your idol is a blessing not everyone receives and I was thrilled at the opportunity. At the same time, when I did finally get to approach and speak to him,…