Koch met Ashbery at university, O’Hara following them to New York. De Kooning, Dine, Katz, Rivers, Saint Phalle, Porter and Grooms were among the artists and fellow-poets he mixed with. Mathews, Schuyler and Ashbery were his co-editors and founders of Locus Solus magazine. Padgett, taught by him, became a professional colleague, and with his close friend Brainard became another presence in New York circles. Koch challenged Ponge on his perceptions of the city’s appearance, deciding by his response that he was a genius. Ginsberg did his best to outdo Koch in rhyming.