Seren
This is a string of emails from today. I will not offer any information other than to say the book I sent this artist was mailed to her in September, 2006 and she paid for the international postage. I have cut and pasted these messages directly out of the emails…so no changes or deletions. -- though I have decided NOT to post the pictures she sent.
I would LOVE to know what people think:
From The Artist:
That book was returned to you many many months ago just after I returned from having my cancer removed. Please remove my name from this site or I will take legal action forthwith. Please note I am in the legal profession.
From Me (Seren):
UNBELIVEABLE!
I have been trying to contact you for months, no...over a year!
I have sent emails and post cards, posted messages on the various boards...hell, I even sent a copy of my mini-zine to you with a note asking you to contact me if the book had been lost. I also asked people that have swapped with you in the past contact you, and never...not once, have I gotten a response.
I never received a message that you received the book...and nothing saying that you sent it back, even though it is clearly stated in the initial Call for Artists that you are to notify me when the book arrives and when you ship it back.
For you to FINALLY contact me and do so with a demand is unbelievable. You admit you received the book, and that you did nothing to ensure it arrived back to me (or even touch base to make sure that I got the book) ...so why shouldn't I be able to document my loss?
My attorney suggested I send you a demand letter, but I thought that excessive. I figured something had come up (and it sounds like it did -- you were ill). I hoped that when everything settled down, you'd drop the book back in the mail. Now you contact me to say the book is lost -- and it's been so long that I can't even contact the Post Office for assistance. You didn't even give me half-a-chance to get help in getting the book back!
From The Artist:
Unbelievable is it? Here are the pictures my dear of parts of the cancer they took out of me...well the after affects and part fo the procedure They had to reconstruct my hand..and then I had to have a total hysterectomy as it was in other places. despite all theat I did the pages and was so pleased with it.
Along with my book I sent back to you is my new mail address
I have been in this art game for a long long time. I have been true to what I have done. Look at the scans for this book (attached)....just 3 of the 15 contributions to the journal I made (15 foro the 15th I figured) which I presume I will never see again. You have to go figure, why would I not bother if I did so much work in it.
Again I will advise you to remove the information. Defamatory actions and the pursuit of same is not ultra vires
I ask you again formally to remove my name from publication at your website.
From Me (Seren):
I understand you have been ill...and have no interest in the photos. I too have been contending with health issues and have my own realities to process. Additionally, I'm thrilled that you were pleased with the work you did in the book, and am saddened that I will not get to see it.
However, there is nothing defamatory about my posting. I sent you the book (and your email confirms you received it), you didn't send it back in a way that you can document mailing and/or delivery. The one thing I have changed is that the posting no longer says the book wasn't sent back. I will give you the benefit of the doubt on that one.
The bottomline is the book was lost on your watch...and I would have just chalked it up to the wonders of the postal service, but by not contacting me to let me know the book had been mailed, I can't try to track it down.
Lastly, I am wondering...why the condescending tone of your emails?
You can't be surprised that I would post the names of the people that have kept/lost the books...especially considering the number of books that have been lost. I have done everything I know how to contact you and was understanding of your illness and the impact it had on your ability to get back to me in a timely manner, yet you are short and imply that you are so much more versed in issues of this nature than I.
You don't know me, what I do for a living or what my resources are for managing issues like this, so I'm wondering why you are so comfortable in communicating with me as if I'm an idiot.
I know things happen...really, really bad things happen (hell, they've been happening to me!)...and then add in the postal service, and yeah, some books would get lost. But, why write to me for the first time in a year and be demanding when you haven't once written to inquire about the journal. Why start off demanding?
I'm curious.
From The Artist:
I've lost too much artwork...to thieves and postal systems all in one country. Some of my stuff was even stolen and sold on Ebay . Can you guess which country ? Come one now do guess??? Give up??
I am angry about the waste of time and effort I put into it. I was stupid and should have spent the money to Security Post it. Just airmail first class. I did sent it back to you with a note about my change of addy, sorry for being late as I was one handed.
Afterall I did pay for the postage out...some $12.00 I recall????
Regardless thats karma.
I do not want my name attached to anything that would bring disrepute to my me. I am now getting back on my feet so to speak and this 'find' by a friend of mine was too much. In my country ones name and actions attributed to that name are not allowed to be posted without permission of that person.
You give me the benefit of the doubt. Hardly. Who are you anyway? I don't need that from you ever, never nor asked for it. I hope I have made myself clear there as well,yes?
I have asked you to remove it or I will ask the host of your website and get them involved with any rememdy I seek if my name is not removed.
From Me (Seren):
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the insight on your approach.
From The Artist:
One bit of advice.I suggest you read your web hosts terms and conditions as I just did.
Reader Comments (9)
That's the part I don't understand. It would be one thing if I were lying or even twisting the reality...but I'm not!
This is confusing to me, which leads me to think maybe I'm missing something. Am I missing something?
Linda (OKC)
Thank you for your thoughts. I just can't believe the things people do to each other. I still can't get over the fact that she admits to NOT HOLDING UP HER END OF THE DEAL and yet doesn't want her actions attributed to her name... and put her errors IN WRITING to me. Why wouldn't I share this information with others that consider swapping with her.
I know, I really should let this go...but it just burns me up!
The real kicker is...if she'd written and just been a little bit of nice, the outcome could have been different.
Does that make me as petty?
It can be tough as thew book is lost it is tough to want that against you because as we all know, things do get lost but then at the same time for something like a journal thats not yours, you would think you would send it registered mail.
I don't think it is petty as its an attack against you as a person and no one likes that. I hope this all sorts itself out and does not come to any actual legal action.
It all seems to have got very serious in something that is supposed to be fun. It can be tough because past happenings do impact on how we look moving forward. It is a long time for no contact.
So sorry to read about your dilemma with the "saga continues" legal threat. After reading about the number of lost books in the 10 day journal project, I became concerned about whether you received journal #$$. Although I'm sure you would have contacted me if you had not.
Journal swapping is all new to me and I am amazed at what you do and the amount of time, effort and money invested in these projects.
I wonder if people understand that keeping a journal is actually stealing from you? And stealing from all the artists whose work is in the
journal. When we've agreed to work in one of your books, it is a contract of sorts. That woman and everyone should be reminded of that. (Although
I know stealing in the art world is not new and ofen, to some, expected.)
I know I felt a great deal of responsiblity when I received the journal in the mail. My mother is very ill and the journal was a great release
for me and was also an inspiration for getting to artmaking and creating. Creating something small can lead to creating something big in a
small amount of time. When you issued the announcement for people wanting their own journal project and your willingness to organize it, I went out and bought a journal book with the intention of beginning. It is waiting for me to begin. After receiving journal #$$ and sending it off with a bit of saddness but knowing it has begun a journey which is exciting, I'm excited to begin my own journal and hoping that there will be
others who are doing the same.
As for this woman harassing you, she needs to take a deep breath and admit responsibility. I think you were more than patient (a year!) Yes,
she has had something really terrible going on but she must have had help along the way handling billing and other necessities and could have
asked someone to send it out to you. The journal could also be in one of the moving boxes. Life and its responsibilities still have to go on no
matter what horrors we are visited by.
I'm amazed at people keeping the journals. They could make great copies of their pages before sending it on its way or they should offer to
buy the book and the art. But to keep is stealing and to blame the post office is low. I may be naive but I find it hard to believe that the p.o. could lose so many. That would be considered very poor business practice and wouldn't be tolerated.
I think these journals become precious things with great ideas, artwork, stories and moments that people find hard to let go of. None the
less, you have to let something go freely so that it can return to you freely.
Best Wishes for a good outcome, Thank you for the opportunity to participate and be inspired.
Once I catch up with them, they say they'll mail it, but rarely do...and I'm left empty handed and with an email inbox full of hateful notes about why I should take their names off my blog even though they never bothered to follow up on the journal, let alone send it with delivery confirmation.
Anyway...time to update the spreadsheet. Another journal that definately isn't coming back.
Is the artist in question from Australia with the initials S.B.?
If so, she got one of mine too and another that I know of also with the exact same circumstances as you describe.
Hugs,
Rebecca