Ms. Lay became a cartoonist after a disenchanting period studying fine art at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the early 1970's.

When you spend long periods studying the board the latter point becomes quite important.

Rodgers had never been a diplomat and spoke no French, and spent six hours a day for a four-month period studying the language.

He was a farmhand brought from Upper Guinea, who later spent a brief period studying at the University of Edinburgh.

While there he also had two six-month periods studying engineering at the University of Glasgow.

After a brief period studying physics in his native Germany, Bruns' research focus changed to Media and Cultural studies.

Then came a period studying at the Royal Academy Schools in London, but given the demands of making a living it was brief.

During his period studying with Hubbard he worked as a messenger for the Hancock Life Insurance Company to support himself.

He then spent a period studying and travelling abroad.

On through the 1970s to the present he has performed primarily within the context of free jazz, spending some of this period studying with Yusef Lateef.