What Gold modeled for me was the idea that the writer delivers stories that the reader needs. The point is to do that job well.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD OF Alison Leslie Gold in the late eighties, I had no idea what a visionary author she was, or how much she would teach me about the writing life…
We first met Alison on the greek island Hydra, while we were visiting with Leonard Cohen’s muse Marianne Ihlen, as a chapter in the film we are making of her life. The wonderful story of Alison’s life – how she gave up scriptwriting in Hollywood when she learned that Anne Frank’s secret helper Miep Gies were still alive, and went straight away to Amsterdam and got the the old lady to tell her unique story in book form.
This was the rebirth of Alison as a writer. And what a catalogue she has worked up! And now -finally – is the documentary novel of Matisse in late life and his model here.
Alison came over from New York to Paris and gave a lecture of the project at our festival Et Aarsverk in 2007. She told how she accidentally met this old lady in a lunch bar or something in USA, and during the casual conversation Alison suddenly understood that nothing is pure accident – that she had met Matisse’s last model. Matisse who brought painting in a totally new direction. Who said: “Study your object carefully. Then turn around and paint what you remember.” Here she had by a strike of wonderful luck had first hand observation of how this marvelous painter worked…
One year passed. Eight years have passed. But now! Finally the novel is here! And now I’m first going to mail this congratulatory letter, and then go directly to my bookshop and order this brand new and long awaited piece from the master writer and wonderful person Alison Leslie Gold. A toast for Matisse, for the model Claude – and for you, dear Alison!
Jan Christian Mollestad, Oslo, 7th of March 2014
Dear precious Jan Christian,
I just saw your note and blush with pleasure. Am delighted by your memories and hope you got the book and have read it If your bookshop didn’t get it for you, Amazon can and will, if there’s any problem, let me know and I’ll send you a copy. I ended up writing 13 drafts of this story over 15 years before it was published. I guess it just took what it took. I wonder about your own intriguing projects and send my affectionate summer greetings to your entire family, one and all. Love, Alison