Naming paintings is a bitch. You don’t want to give too much away because it has to work on its own. You don’t want to be too clever or too obtuse or to overthink it. Every once in a while it names itself but usually the painter’s stuck coming up with the title even though we’re painters in part to get around words. When I’m doing a picture of my bookshelf I have an easy cheat since I’m staring for hours at the spines of books. This one’s called Panic in a Suitcase after a novel I liked from last year.

Thursday, at a house filled with art and books in Ukrainian Village, Jessa Crispin held a book-release party for her Dead Ladies Project. I played a tiny role in its publication in that Jessa got in touch with me to find out what it was like working with University of Chicago Press while considering who to go with. I guess whatever I told her was positive enough for her to move forward and sign the contract. She read a chapter about Margaret Anderson, the legendary editor of Little Review. A couple years ago Jessa bought a portrait of Anderson which I’d done for a series called “Writers No One Reads”. I hope lots of people read Jessa’s book. 

On Friday I looked in on my paintings at Green Dog (which you can still go see for another week or two), then went to the Hideout for my friends’ record-release. Here are sketches of the bands that played. Each is worth knowing.