For what it's worth, this is my latest letter to CACA. Something called Fucking Good Art, or FGA, or some variant, will be out in a few days.

Subject: CACA Newsletter obituary and The New Art Critics Association

Sorry, real life interefered with email for a bit, but I finally had a chance to read alot of backmail.

I am very tempted to join Maria Jose in the exit line, especially with John's gentle nudge, but still remember some old hippie wisdom about working from the inside, so you're not free of me yet.

I can imagine that committees and deadlines and business meetings and whatnot are neccessary in some circumstances, but never are they pleasant, and never intrinsically good.

Protocol aside, the fact is that CACA had no paper on the street for one of the biggest art weekends, the Pier thing, and won't have anything out for the other biggest weekend coming up. The proof of the pudding is in having a pudding in the first place. My young cohorts an I plan to have a (as yet unwrit) pamphlet out for the opening of the season, and a second edition the next week, covering next Friday's shows. Once you figure out them letters, writin' ain't that hard. There's going to be a bunch of academic art folks in town in February for CAA. Maybe that's enough months for y'all to get your word counts in order. If you want to do something to litter the hotel lobby, I'll help in any way I can - collating, marginal Quark skills, running to the copy store, distribution - just provide some content and I'll be your bitch. The deadline is the day before distribution and wordcount is however long it takes for you to say what needs said.

And what about content? Personally, I'd be more informed by knowing what TV shows you watched than by what critics you read, and I can't imagine a reader outside of an ivory/ivied tower caring about either. There is a lot of other stuff going on that is worthy of comment. Isn't that what critics do? I talked to a painter tonight who said he missed reading the arguments between me and Fred and John, and I admit to missing it, too. Debate isn't always animosity.

I'm going to tone down the obit a tad, reinvite you to play with us, and also include subastantial portions of this note to the Other Group.

God Bless Us All

-- michael