After he was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II Sondheim has returned the favor, saying that he loves "passing on what Oscar passed on to me". In an interview with Sondheim for "The Legacy Project", composer-lyricist Adam Guettel (son of Mary Rodgers and grandson of Richard Rodgers) recalls how as a 14-year-old boy he showed Sondheim his work. Guettel was "crestfallen" since he had come in "sort of all puffed up thinking would be rained with compliments and things", which was not the case since Sondheim had some "very direct things to say". Later, Sondheim wrote and apologized to Guettel for being "not very encouraging" when he was actually trying to be "constructive".