High Art

---

[Man's Voice]

She and l... Oh, actually...

Hey, James.

Speak of the devil.

Hold on.

Hey.

Yeah, I gotta go.

I know.

All right, I'll deal

with that tomorrow.

Yeah.

Okay. Bye.

Hey, Syd.

I'm making cocktails.

Onions or olives?

Olives!

Sorry I'm late.

- We had a lot of submissions.

- You're still doing those?

I thought they were getting

a new intern.

They are.

They're being selective.

About an intern?

Mm-hmm.

They're being selective about an intern

and you're still working on that?

[Sighs]

I think their priorities

are really f***ed up, you know?

No one made me stay.

I know they didn't make you.

That's not what I meant.

Yeah?

You sound like you meant that.

No, I just...

If they made you an editor,

they shouldn't keep treating you

like an intern, that's all.

I think it's degrading.

Tsk. Assistant editor.

Okay.

Assistant editor.

Come on, Syd.

I'm sticking up for you.

Why? I'm not being

bullied by anyone...

except you.

[Scoffs]

Good book?

Yeah,

it's really intense.

Hey, that's great

they promoted you.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

Are you assisting

Dominique too?

No, I'm not really assisting anyone.

I'm the assistant editor.

Oh, that's great.

I guess that's why

they gave you an office.

Yeah. Did my faxes come through?

Oh, yeah.

Thanks.

Sorry.

How'd you get that job?

I mean, what did you

have to do to get it?

What did I have to do

to get my job?

No, I mean like...

what was your background,

what was your major?

Uh, critical theory.

Really,

that's a major?

Yeah, it's like cultural studies

or semiotics.

Philosophy, you know?

Foucault, Derrida, Kristava,

whatever?

Oh, pretty cerebral, huh?

No, it's actually really interesting.

You'd probably really like it.

You think?

Yeah. What are you reading?

Dostoevsky. That is cerebral.

Yeah, well, I'm not sure

I'm really getting it.

Debbie, no calls,

we're in a meeting.

No problem.

Morning.

Morning.

Did you reconfirm Dieter?

I'm just on to that.

I have some errands

for you too.

Okay.

[Phone Rings]

Proofs come back?

Uh, they should

be here by 3:
00.

Are these Dieter's?

Yeah, they just came in.

That's brilliant.

I know.

The tone's great.

I got you your scone

and Earl Grey.

Oh, did you?

Thank you.

I'd to like to have all

the prints before his meeting.

Okay, I'll get on to that now.

Mmm. Thanks.

[Sniffs]

[Knocking On Door]

[Woman]

Excuse me?

There's a line forming out here.

I'll be right with you, lady.

[Toilet Flushes]

Greta!

Oh God, I'm sorry.

No, sorry to hold you up.

No, really, I'm so sorry. L...

Did you finish?

Yeah. All done.

How've you been?

Good. Everything's great.

Good, good.

Great.

How are you?

Great. Great.

Got a MacArthur last week.

Oh, yeah.

That's a genius thing, right?

Ah, that's what they call it,

but you know,

I think it's really more

a good opportunity for a writer

to keep working.

[Mumbling]

It's free now.

I saw that native lady.

What's her name?

I always forget.

White Cloud?

White Hawk.

Yeah, her.

[Laughs]

She got some genius award.

What is that, half a million?

Gonna eat?

They should give you

one of those awards.

Mm-hmm.

You're a genius.

You're f***ing brilliant.

Thought you weren't gonna

bring that tonight.

What?

Really.

I was talking to White Cloud.

Woo-woo.

[Laughs]

[Laughs]

She was chewing my ear off

about her award.

Was she?

Really. It was sickening,

the way she was going on about it.

Really. I can't stand that.

You know,

Fassbinder always told me,

the ugliest quality

in a woman is vanity.

Vanity.

It really is.

I don't care if she's disabled.

[Laughs]

[Laughs]

[Water Dripping]

- Hey, James?

- Yeah?

You know this crack in the ceiling?

Yeah?

It's leaking.

Do you want me to try Boris?

I think so.

[Sniffs]

Domino.

[Exhales]

That's me.

Arnie,

you're cheating.

I'm not cheating,

'cause you're not paying attention,

because if you count up the outsides,

you'd know if l...

I think you should go

to the boneyard.

[Giggles]

I put my five.

What?

Wait a minute...

For cryin'out...

Honey, you're not listening.

You're not, um, focusing,

because if you...

Are you guys gonna play?

I put my five.

[Giggles]

Luce, did you understand

the directions?

Cause I've explained it...

Can you... Is it like

a language barrier?

I don't have this problem

with Xander.

This is ridiculous.

Could you explain

to her...

Xander's a guy.

We're girls.

Yeah, that's why

I'm saying,

why don't you

explain it to her?

[Knocking On Door]

Is Delia

coming over?

I didn't talk to her.

How come Delia

won't go out with me?

- Because you broke up.

- That was a long time ago.

Hi. Are you running a bath?

No. Are you?

[Laughs]

No, I'm sorry.

I live right under you...

and our ceiling's leaking.

Did you call, um, Boris?

Yeah. He's not answering.

Did you call a plumber?

Well, I didn't really want to.

It was so late, it's really expensive,

and...

It's probably just your drains

or pipe or something.

I mean, you live right on top of us.

Yeah, I wish I knew

what to tell you,

but no one here's

taken a bath recently.

Right.

Find anything interesting?

There's some

water under here,

but I can't tell exactly where

it's coming from.

Do you have a rag?

Or some tape... like some duct tape?

I might. I'll look.

Who's that?

She has a leak downstairs.

She's trying to fix it.

She's cute.

You want to try this?

Who's the photographer?

Oh, I took that.

It's a great picture.

Thanks.

The composition is so skillful,

but it seems really spontaneous,

almost like a snapshot.

I think it was a snapshot.

Yeah? [Laughs]

That's what's so great about it.

It has this amazing

symmetry to it.

It's really old.

It's really great.

It still seems

really contemporary.

Did you take

all these pictures?

Um, I think so.

Mostly.

Did you take the ones

in the other room?

Yeah. Over the years.

Do you ever publish them

or show?

Is that, like,

what you do?

No. I did a long time ago,

but not anymore.

Who is this woman?

She seems really intense.

Her name's Greta.

[Sniffs]

Luce, who's your friend?

Um, sorry.

What's your name?

[Laughs] Syd.

Right.

Syd.

Uh, Arnie, Joan, Greta.

Syd.

Hey.

- Did you get that leak fixed?

- I tried.

We'll have to see what happens.

- Let us know.

- Okay. I will.

[Joan]

Okay. See ya later.

Yeah.

See ya later.

See you.

That woman upstairs

is a photographer.

Yeah?

What kind

of photographer?

Portraits mostly.

Really. What's, uh...

What's her name?

Lucy.

Lucy?

Yeah. Lucy.

[Chattering]

Good morning.

Hey.

Do you have any aspirin?

Uh, I think so.

They were out of scones.

That would help.

Thanks for the tea.

Sure.

Harry, I was wondering

if I could ask you something.

Is it personal?

[Laughs] No. Um, look,

if this is a bad time...

I can talk to you

about it later.

You're here now. What is it?

Well, it's just that I met... I mean

I know this amazing photographer,

and I just thought

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