Chris Burden Quits UCLA Over Gun Incident

“Internationally known artists Chris Burden and Nancy Rubins have retired abruptly from their longtime professorships at UCLA in part because the university refused to suspend a graduate student who used a gun during a classroom performance art piece, a spokeswoman for the artists said Friday. ‘They feel this was sort of domestic terrorism. There should have been more outrage and a firmer response’.”

The Book Dealer And The Stolen Book

A St. Louis book dealer buys a rare volume for $3,900, then is pleased to see his judgment rewarded when it is valued at $600,000. Just one small hitch: “The book may have been stolen from an unlikely victim — the German government. The state-owned Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart claims a World War II U.S. Army captain took the book and others from a castle and eventually deposited them in his Richmond Heights home.”

Put Off – The Writer’s Curse

Ah, the writer’s curse – writer’s block. But even worse, perhaps – procrastination. “At its worst, procrastination is a form of slow suicide, a kind of stand-off with life. Why act, when we know the end of all endeavour? Days, weeks, months creak past, but still no attempt to advance the work is made. Procrastination is surely worse than writer’s block, less involuntary: you see what you need to do, you know you can do it, and yet … and yet.”

Costco Sells Its Picasso

US big box retailer Costco has sold the Picasso it put up for sale last week. “The work, signed and dated 29 November 1970, had a price tag of $39,999 (£21,483), and was sold on Wednesday. The artwork was described as a “doodle” drawn on the blank side of a book jacket. It had been authenticated by the artist’s daughter.”