Library Interventions : Sharon Kivland
Isabella Streffen : Special Agent Special Agent
Dear Dr. Kivland
Your call for agents in Leeds Library has recently come to my attention. I know my application is after the deadline, but I hope my plea for inclusion will fall on generous ears. My lateness is caused by too many days of travelling, an unlikely film which finds me dressed as a unicorn, and a slow recovery from a most unpleasant case of pertussis.
These things notwithstanding, I propose a very special agency (you may recall a whisper in Dale Cooper’s ear): that, in your stead, I may be permitted to hunt crime through the Library’s Crime Fiction collection. While I cannot promise to dally with Jack Reacher, I may skirt around Todorov, as I file evidence on the most recent crimes, crime scenes, criminals, and detectives to be found in that location. Inspired by your methods of detection and particularly your book A Case of Hysteria, I suggest the compilation of a dossier that charts what I imagine that you might read at leisure. I will undertake the work like a ghost in the night – evoking perhaps Alberto Manguel’s post-midnight encounters – from the comparative safety of my own office, but I will certainly make one trip to case the joint and observe directly.
I hope that you will find my brief proposal an acceptable use of your time, as I am keen to work on your behalf and to be useful in your demonstration of mastery.
With hope and best wishes,
Your obedient servant,
Isabella Streffen
Artists' Books: Reading Room 