As I discovered in the time I spent with Baryshnikov — Misha, as most everybody in his world knows him — he has a great appreciation for the works of others, and a great memory for friends, collaborators and heroes. He talked about befriending the actor James Cagney and being a pallbearer at his funeral; about guest-editing an issue of Vogue Paris with contributions from Susan Sontag and Milos Forman; about living near the comedian Susie Essman, who played Larry David’s foulmouthed foil on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” (“Very friendly. A wonderful woman.”) He seemed far less concerned with his own personal milestones — be it his birthday or the 50th anniversary, this year, of his request for political asylum from the Soviet Union.