Detour: Arizona & New Mexico
This week delivered a surprise. My stories have begun to connect me to people living in the places I write about.
I’ve been on the road all week. In Scottsdale, the reporter who has covered the de Kooning story since it began interviewed me on the street in front of the auction house that sold the two paintings I discovered were stolen.
In Taos, where an Albuquerque TV reporter had invited me, the staff at the Harwood Museum treated me like a hero for finding their lost art. Their heartfelt joy overwhelmed me. They’ve asked me to come back soon to speak at an event they will pull together. Going through the back hallways of the Harwood Museum and having tacos with their team in the dining room of the old adobe home (where Georgia O’Keefe once bunked) opened a lens into Taos I would never have seen as a tourist.
Finally, in Silver City, NM, the Albuquerque TV crew got more footage of me and interviewed the three antiques dealers who found the de Kooning and inspired this whole set of stories. I spent the afternoon in their store, chatting with them and seeing how their shop provides a hub for the entire community. I also met one of the members of the garden club that received the proceeds from the auction. Hanging out with locals is an amazing way to get to know a place.
The wheels have begun to move on an FBI investigation into the theft of the Harwood paintings. (To see my original story, click HERE). I’ll post an update on that when there is news.
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