Desert Dispatches
The biweekly micro-newsletter for Through the Long Desert, featuring reflections on writing, excerpts, event announcements, and bonus material.
“The Space Within” Gallery Talk
I gave this short gallery talk on Friday, October 3 at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. The text for this talk and the research in it comes mostly from the chapter Vessel & Void. I’ve left it largely as I delivered it with only light editing.
Frank and Georgia Tell Me How to Write a Book
Ever felt like a ghost helped you write a book? The researchers behind a landmark Alexander Girard exhibition did — and I have to admit, I hoped for a little of that spectral magic myself.
Wait, Frank and Georgia knew each other? And other FAQs
Yes! And why art books cost so much and a spirited defense of biographical art history.
The Archive as Mirror
On TV and in books, archival research always feels glamorous, romantic, and a little dangerous. There are secrets lurking conveniently at the top of a thick pile of folders, some arcane illuminati conspiracy ready to be unearthed by a precocious grad student who may also be a witch and/or vampire. The reality is considerably less enthralling. Archives are routinely colder than you’d prefer and someone is likely watching to make sure you’re wearing your gloves.
A Window into O’Keeffe’s Restless Renovations at Abiquiú
How I spent a summer obsessing over Georgia O’Keeffe’s sitting room window.
O’Keeffe’s Big Clouds, John Deere, and Eero Saarinen
The untold story behind Georgia O’Keeffe’s biggest painting, Sky Above Clouds IV (1965), featuring cameos from some of midcentury design’s biggest names.