The Powell's book launch for The UNTOLD GAZE

I had my first professional art exhibition in May of 1995. I started working at Powell's "City of Books" in May of 1995.

The famous book store and I have had a rather complicated relationship these past twenty-three years. (Twenty-three years!) And for a good percentage of that time, certainly after my art career was better established, I've been saying I need to move on; honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed that as a respected, relatively successful artist, I still have a "day job". And I know that when I do quit some day, I'll finally be forced to make myself the real driver of my career, rather than just waiting for galleries to find me... which is what I've always done. But it's an odd tethering I have to the place, matched by the connection I have with my art career. These two things, born at exactly the same time, have been the greatest constants in my life - the two imperatives - for nearly a quarter century. How will it be when I eventually let the one go...?

And now - tonight - the two come together in a way they never have before. Powell's "City of Books" is one of the most important venues in the entire country for a writer to promote or debut a new book; the Powell's book launch is pretty much legendary. Even though they usually don't grant events to expensive, privately printed, primarily pictorial publications - so many "P"s! - they were enthusiastic about giving us an event. Five of the writers who have pieces in the book - Lidia Yuknavitch, Monica Drake, Scott Sparling, Margaret Malone, and Jude Brewer - will be reading tonight. And I know it will be a wonderful, happy night. And, for me, it will also be - because of all my history with the place - a bit... surreal.