The Professor Starts His Dig

Ruth and the professor came to visit last evening. The professor has already begun reading my Varnastrama Journals and sorting through the drawings stacked on tables, drawing board, day bed, the floor, and in the closet of Sanctuary. My lawyer tells me that a restraining order is inappropriate as the professor will not be damaging my things. Rather, he will be restoring order, and saving my drawings, photographs, sculptures, journals and Varnastrama from certain ruin in an attic that is no longer heated in the winter, nor air conditioned in the summer. While I see his point, it feels as though I’m being torn apart, and in a manner much more mentally excruciating than the repeated physical destruction and recreation of my body by the invading Loar on Varnastrama.

The professor informed me that he plans to take Sanctuary apart piece by piece and store it in another location, hopefully in the climate controlled basement at his University’s art museum. If not there, he says he will be able to convince the curator of a museum of Outsider Art in a nearby city to store the crated remains of my studio. I have trouble with this vision of my work as Outsider Art, because I am a trained artist. I spent 4 years in art school and I have exhibited my work both here in Lancaster County, and in other cities. However, the professor says that my drawings and photographs of Lancaster County and Cape Henlopen are not important unless they are considered in relation to the “major work and performance” (his words) about the silver man and Varnastrama. “Your artistic vision marks you as an outsider,” he said,as he and Ruth were leaving my apartment.

So, perhaps Ruth will stop thinking of me as her crazy old father.

I doubt it. More than likely she thinks that the professor is crazier than I.


E-mail me! My e-mail address is ZacSfuts@aol.com.