L. Mencken, who became an early mentor and whose cigar-waving directness and contrariness appealed to him.

NEWYORKER: This Woman��s Work

Besides delivering quality work, Dawson has stayed in business by practicing cyclical contrariness.

FORBES: Optimistic on oil

Sometimes I thought I did remember, but out of contrariness or fear of getting things wrong I pretended not to.

NEWYORKER: Gravel

That act, like those moments from Garbo, Gish, and Brooks, suggests a vein of contrariness and complication, the astonishments of art.

NEWYORKER: The Artists