TE22 Potpourri

Manuel Baixauli

UNKNOWN

“Not bad,” he said. “I like the style, it’s not facile and it’s rooted in tradition. It’s a shame they’re figurative, that limits their effect.”

rough around the edges. If you didn’t know him, you might mistake him for a hobo. He’s always wearing the same clothes.”

“Sounds like a real gem!”

Mateu adjusted his glasses with his free hand and stayed silent.

“And you,” said Mateu, after a long, awkward silence. “Do you write?”

“And who wrote the texts they illustrate?” said the Master.

“Someone named Crisòstom. Ring a bell?”

“Me? Write?”

“No, not a one.”

“I remember readinganarticlebyyou, insomecultural journal.”

The Master put down the drawings and started reading one of the articles. After a fewminutes, he said, “What a bastard! This writing! Don’t you think he overuses the staccato?”

“Centuries ago! No, I have no interest in that.”

“Does discovering genius put food on the table?”

“I thought so at first. I got used to it.”

“I eatvery little,” laughed theMaster. “And Idon’thaveexpensive habits. Books, exhibition catalogues, almost everything I need for my work is gifted to me. The mailman brings me material every day. I don’t have room for all of it. Every once in a while I call up the librarian in the closest town to come and take boxes and boxes. And, when I hit the nail on the head and someone’s career takes off, I get a cut. And I’vedone that quite a few times.”

The Master started to read another one.

“This is really fucking weird!” he said, when he finished. “It’s like he is looking at everything from a galaxy far far away. A Martian who’s just landed on our planet. Is he very young?”

“Not at all! He’s past the half century mark.”

“I know. I could even list a few names.”

“What’s he like, personally?”

“Not everyone is equally grateful, there are cheap bastards, too, but ingeneral, they’re good about it.When I invest in someone, I take into consideration whether they seem worth my time or 87

“Extremely strange. A failure, completely disenchanted and 86