From the Walls of Mr. James Odett

James V. Odett (1902-1963) lived his whole life in Winnipeg, Manitoba as an antiques dealer. His shop, Odett's Antiques, ran from 1923 at 1163 Portage Avenue until Mr. Odett became ill in the summer of 1962. Mr. Odett left behind a surprising amount of 'artwork' (poems, stories, drawings, paintings, even songs), which he stuffed into the walls of his house. It is only recently that we have discovered this (after some much needed renovations). The Council for Dissemination and Misappropriation (a group originally started my James himself, under the name The Misuse Society) here presents some of the materials uncovered. Mr. Odett often claimed that people from the future would steal his 'art', and that he often went into the future to take it back. The songwriter Butter Vaughn Kingson bases a lot of his music on the writings and 'artwork' of Mr. Odett.

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Wed Feb 11

Dear ______,

I saw a woman today and I fell for her wedding ring. And the way she turned it over in her hand to hide the stone. And the way she twisted it back and forth, around and around. And the way she refused to acknowledge this. And the way she smiled looking at the ceiling (I looked at the ceiling and it wasn’t funny at all). And the way she twisted her toes inside her salt-stained black boots. And the way her sock had a tiny hole in it at her ankle. And the way she knew I was watching.

I see you everywhere,
_______

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