Rod McKuen made poetry sexy. Called “the unofficial poet laureate of America,” he sold millions of copies of books of verse, and also branched out into songwriting – composing the music and lyrics for “Jean,” from the 1969 film, and “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” which was nominated for an Academy Award. Not a bad career for a kid born in a charity hospital in Oakland, California, and who ran away from home at 11 to escape an abusive stepfather.

Rod McKuen died at the age of 81, from pneumonia. You can hear his interview with Leonard from April, 2003, when he appeared at Carnegie Hall.