Chinese Takeout
By  Arthur Nersesian

      Arthur Nersesian's art world lays bare the charade of pretentiousness and excesses of the art world, in an engaging, realistic portrait that takes place during the Bush/Gore election. His main character Orloff Trenchant takes us on a wild ride through the New York art gallery scene. Here we learn firsthand what it's like to live out of a van, sell used books on the streets, and work on artistic endeavors in spare time.

     Or has just lost his girlfriend to a wealthy art collector, and he has destroyed some of her paintings in retribution. Making ends meet is proving nearly impossible, and Or is beginning to question his art-for-art's-sake ethic; what is good and bad and his moral duty and obligations.

      Then he falls in love with street-urchin Rita, a beautiful poetess, prostitute and heroin addict even more desperate than he is. When he is commissioned to sculpt a tombstone in the shape of a Chinese takeout box for a deceased restaurateur, there's a ray of hope. The $6,000 that he will earn for this artistic labor will buy a more livable van, and pay his traffic tickets.

     This story is engaging and easy to get caught up in, by turns funny and sad. The characters and their lives are tragic, but probably realistic. This is not the type of book that I usually select, but I found myself reading far into the night. Nersesian has a master's touch with the English language keeps you glued to the page.

     After discovering this author, I will read his other works. I think I'm in love!