Face of Apollo

 

November 17, 2020

Cartons of my new book arrived last evening, in fact as I was entering the shipping numbers to trace the shipment, deeming it lost. The book is substantial, fine to look at. I found 3 errors (two of them errant periods) in the first 20 pages. We worked so hard on that! But mostly I noticed that it reads well, and that–as I noted with my other books– I can find no intimacy with it, no conviction that it is actually mine. This is a good thing, allowing discovery of the thing I made, which is the reason for making. Good early word of mouth from others who have ordered the book, and in general received it before I did. I have a good feeling about its prospects. It’s not a better book than Wyona, but it’s friendlier. I think my oeuvre is destined to be like a family, some familial similarity, but wide variety from each to each. Variety caused confusion in my reception as a painter. I think it will do less harm here. I never strive for it, never try to seduce variety into my words; it merely comes to me, like beauty to the face of Apollo.