Hidden Inbox Gems

2006 brings with it my renewed determination to tame the roaring inbox email beast (with whip, chair and petite handgun, if necessary). To that end, many hours in virtual hip waders were spent, well, wading through Art History messages this week. After a great deal of reading and deleting, I've got several news-y items to share.

• The lawsuit fat lady hasn't yet sung; Lewis Perdue's copyright infringement case against Random House over plagiarism in The Da Vinci Code has now gone to appellate court. Long-time readers of this site will not be surprised to hear of my laugh-out-loud moment upon learning that Mr. Perdue's blog is entitled "The Da Vinci Crock."
  
  
• Beth Gersh-Nesic, writer, scholar and web mistress of the excellent New York Arts Exchange site, has had her most recent book, André Salmon on French Modern Art, come out in print. The first English translation of some of Salmon's own books, it promises to be full of his (not always "nice") opinions of his Fauve, Cubist and School of Paris peers. Beth had, previously, teased me with a Salmon essay on NYAE, and now I can't wait to read the book!

• Jeff Fioravanti, a marvelous pastel artist (who's been featured here as an "Artist You Should Know"), has added cover illustrator to his lengthy list of accomplishments and credentials. Jeff was also featured in several exhibitions over the holidays, which I wish you'd been told about in a timely manner. Jeff doesn't simply sell his land- and seascapes – he uses them, and part of the proceeds, to spread his heartfelt message about the preservation of historic sites. Next chance you get to catch him on display, do!
  
  
• Daniel J. Waldman, Public Relations Manager for The Rosen Group, graciously let me know that American Style magazine, whose Top 10 Art Fairs and Festivals voting results I'd questioned (tongue-in-cheek) enjoys a whopping 75,000 subscribers, and about 200,000 readers. So, much as I love the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair (and complaining in general), I certainly can't complain that votes for or against it weren't drawn from a broad reader base.
  
  
• Painter John Kraft, also previously featured here, is going from strength to strength out there on the West Coast, but topped his Great Happenings of 2005 list with "I got married." As this was the nicest thing I read during the course of inbox excavation, and because True Love isn't trumpeted often enough, please allow me to extend public congratulations to John and his bride, coloratura soprano Nikki Einfeld.
  
  
• Perhaps you're not quite up-to-speed on the debate surrounding London's National Gallery's Samson and Delilah, attributed - perhaps incorrectly - to Rubens. Trust me, you'll be more well-versed than you'd dreamt possible after visiting the after Rubens website. Whether or not you're a Rubens fan or interested in the debate, the site's main focus is about really looking at art and forming one's own opinions - two things I tend to bring up at every opportunity. Thanks to Niki Mardas for bringing this site to my attention.
  
  And, finally,
  
  
• Mick, bless him for his kindness, wrote to say that the amoretti clue was contained in the Sunday Express crossword, 4th December. Thanks, and happy puzzling, Mick!