Jim Denzler

The Black Book

“Do I hear twenty-five thousand… twenty-five thousand? Offering the diary of Sien Hoornik, girlfriend of Vincent Van Gogh. Last bid is twenty-thousand… twenty-thousand. Fair warning. Going once… going twice…” The knock of the gavel: “Sold! On the phone… twenty thousand!” It was late in the afternoon, and my prized possession was sold.