Comments on: THE GALLERY OF ILLUSIONS • by Brian Dolton

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:09:23 +0000

I liked how you evoked that feeling of creative slump. I think so many artists feel like they’ll never be able to measure up to what came before.

By: Gerard Demayne

Gerard Demayne — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:52:27 +0000

I liked the writing here but I’m having difficulty reconciling the idea that he was the greatest illusionist of his age, possibly any age, but wasn’t able to come up with a great work. By whose definition, therefore, was he the greatest?

Perhaps you could have made more of “The Colossus of Time” not having been created yet and alluded to it being his possible future creation. But perhaps THAT would be trite.

By: A. Terrance

A. Terrance — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:52:53 +0000

It’s sort of confusing who or what the “Convenant” is. That little part about Bitzu sort of distracted from the overall effect of the piece.

Good idea though.

By: P.M.Lawrence

P.M.Lawrence — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:51:00 +0000

Only the young die good.

By: kcball

kcball — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 06:27:21 +0000

Nice.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:54:11 +0000

Loved the descriptions of the works in the gallery – each one is just begging for its own story.

In answer to your question: “They” are “The Good.” A clue is hidden in Billy Joel’s song “Only the Good Die Young”, to whit: “Only the Good die young / that’s what THEY say / only the Good die young.” Clearly, “They” are the Good, bemoaning the injustice of their fate, and Joel’s lyrics clearly connect them with the keyboard-pryers of your query. Admittedly, there is some controversy over this, as some exegetes claim the “They” of Joel’s song are actually a shadowy cabal issuing a dire threat to the Good (to fill their time not spent prying the keyboards from the dead fingers of writers.)

Perhaps some mysteries were not meant to be solved. Nonetheless, loved the inventiveness of your story; cheers!

By: Roberta SchulbergGoro

Roberta SchulbergGoro — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:41:37 +0000

Re: Brian Dolton, THE GALLERY OF ILLUSIONS:
For “They” try the umbrella Wachovia ad on internet.

By: Oonah V Joslin

Oonah V Joslin — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:52:52 +0000

Well that one struck a chord!