Saturday, May 1, 2010 - "Maybe you could give me
your opinion as an...
"Maybe you could give me
your opinion as an artist," he said
There was a black folder lying on the table in the
shade of the striped umbrella (Jack had mended the
rip with a piece of electrician's tape)I opened
it and took out what looked like a glossy brochure
On the front was one of my early efforts, Sunset
545
with Sophora, and I was surprised at how
professional it lookedBelow the repro was this:
Dear Linnie: This is what I've been doing in
Florida, and although I know you're awfully busy
Below awfully busy was an arrowI looked up at
Wireman, who was watching me expressionlessly
Behind him, Elizabeth was staring at the GulfI
didn't know if I was angry at his presumption or
relieved by itIn truth, I felt both thingsAnd
I couldn't remember telling him I sometimes called
my older daughter Linnie
"You can use any type-font you want," he said
"This one's a little girly-girl for my taste, but
my hermes birkin bag collaborator likes itAnd the name in each
salutation is interchangeable, of courseThat's the beauty of doing things like
this on a computer
I didn't reply, just turned to the next pageHere
was Sunset with Witchgrass on one side and Girl
and Ship NoRunning below the
pictures was this:
546
I hope you'll join me for an exhibition of my
work, on the night of April 15th, at the Scoto
Gallery, in Sarasota, Florida, 7 PM-10 PMA First
Class reservation in your name has been made on
Air France Flight 22, departing Paris on the 15th
at 8:25 AM and arriving in New York at 10:15 AM;
you are also reserved on Delta Flight 496, leaving
New York's JFK on the 15th at 1:20 PM and arriving
in Sarasota at 4:30 PMA limousine will meet your
flight and take you to the Ritz-Carlton, where
your stay has been booked, with my compliments,
for the nights of April 15th-April 17th
There was another arrow below thisI looked up fake fendi handbags at
Wireman, bewilderedHe was still with the *****
face, but I could see a pulse beating on the right
side of his foreheadLater on he said, "I knew I
was putting our friendship on the line, but
somebody had to do something, and by then it had
become clear to me that it wasn't going to be
you
I turned to the next page in the brochureTwo
more of those amazing reproductions: Sunset with
Conch on the left and an untitled sketch of my
mailbox on the rightThat was a very early one,
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done with Venus colored pencils, but I liked the
flower growing up beside the wooden post - it was
a brilliant yellow and black oxeye - and even the
sketch looked good in reproduction, as if the man
who'd done it knew his businessOr was getting to
know it
The copy here was brief
If you can't come, I'll more than understand -
Paris isn't just around the corner! - but I'm
hoping that you will
I was angry, but I wasn't d
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