Recently I attempted to contact Richard Linklater (WAKING LIFE, SCANNER DARKLY) via his production company Detour Films. I asked them if I could send a copy of my book, DOGVILLE VS. HOLLYWOOD, to Linklater via them, as it contained a couple of pieces on his work. They wrote back saying they had a “firm an unalterable policy” not to receive any submissions there, but were good enough to give me the name and email address of Linklater’s agent, Beth Swofford. I wrote an email to Beth, at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) with same request, and when I heard nothing back two days later sent a reminder. I then received the following (which included my original emails), not from Swofford, or from any human willing to be identified, but from the “CAA machine” itself:

QUOTE: June 21, 2006 RE: JAKE HORSLEY - AGENCY REPRESENTATION - "DOGVILLE VS HOLLYWOOD, THEWAR BETWEEN INDIE CINEMA AND MAINSTREAM MOVIES"

Dear Mr. Horsley: We received your two e-mails dated June 16, 2006 and June 20, 2006requesting to submit literary material to Creative Artists Agency for Richard Linklater.

Although we appreciate your interest, we cannot assist you with your request. Moreover, please be advised that we have a firm policy of returning allunsolicited material unread. Accordingly, we are forwarding your two e-mails back to you and we have deleted your e-mails from our system. Your unsolicited submission has not been, and will not be disclosed to any executive or other employee of Creative Artists Agency or any other person.

You should be aware that many ideas are generated by ouremployees and our clients or other sources. To the extent that anyprojects are generated which contain elements similar to what yousubmitted, the similarities are purely coincidental.

Thank you for considering Mr. Linklater. We wish you much luck in your endeavors.

Cordially, CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY Submissions

Department Attachment cc: Beth Swofford -----Original Message-----From: jake horsley [mailto:jakehorsley@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 9:52 AMTo: Swofford Asst, BethSubject: Linklater

Hi Beth
not sure if my last email got through Could you give me an address so I can send my book to your client, Richard Linklater, or would you prefer i send it to the CAA offices, care of yourself? If so,which CAA address should i use? thank you
best wishes
Jake Horsley

-----Original Message-----From: jake horsley [mailto:jakehorsley@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, June 16, 2006 10:27 AMTo: Swofford Asst, BethSubject: Concerning Rick Linklater

Dear Beth Swofford

I'm writing to you to see if there is a way to send a copy of my recent book, DOGVILLE VS HOLLYWOOD, The War Between Indie Cinema and Mainstream Movies to your client Richard Linklater? As a great admirer of his work, the book includes short pieces on SLACKER and WAKING LIFE, and I think in general it's something he would enjoy reading. I'd be happy to get the publishers to send Richard a comp copy, if you can give me an address. Yours very truly Jake Horsley

END QUOTE

So how do you like them apples? Not only can I not send a complimentary copy of my book to (the supposedly “fringe player” and “alternative” filmmaker) Linklater, not only am I unable to contact him directly, but I am even deemed unworthy of making contact with HIS AGENT, and instead am passed onto the CAA Gatekeepers, to be rapidly processed and ejected, and firmly discouraged from daring to sully their pristine enterprise with my impertinent and wholly irrelevant requests ever again. Am I raving? Only mildly. I just thought this might be of interest to any of you out there who are attempting to make headway within the Industry, such as it is.

The “artists” are now so firmly “protected” from we poor, humble “fans” (or aspiring artists) by the cult of celebrity and the jealous edifice of agents, managers, and representatives, that it is, verily, as if they did not exist in the same world as we do at all. You would think I had tried to get into see the President rather than simply to send a book to a filmmaker whose work is included in it.

One more broken arrow.

Pull bow back, take aim again.