Laney Salisbury, co-author of “Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art”, will speak at the upcoming 2010 Literary Tastes Breakfast at the American Library Association’s 2010 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
The Literary Tastes Breakfast is an Annual Conference tradition, and a not-to-be-missed event for book lovers. The breakfast features authors from among the 2010 selections for RUSA’s book and media awards—this year’s lineup already includes “Very Valentine” author Adriana Trigiani, who was the top pick for The Reading List for genre writing in Women’s Fiction. Breakfast attendees enjoy a delicious breakfast while authors read from their work, ruminate on writing and sign books. The breakfast will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday, June 27 as a part of RUSA’s exciting events at the conference.
“Provenance” (Penguin) was a non-fiction selection for the 2010 Notable Books List, which was revealed at the 2010 Book and Media Awards in Boston this past January. This enthralling page-turner details how archivists uncovered one of the most extensive frauds in recent art history: the forgery of not only 200 prominent paintings, but the forgery of their provenance, as well. From 1986-95 master con man John Drewe infiltrated once-sacred archives in the art world and planted documents that would establish provenance for forged paintings created by his artist accomplice John Myatt. A decidedly non-fiction work, the narrative evokes the likes of Thomas Crown and “The Devil in the White City” in a single book. In addition to its Notable Books List selection, “Provenance” was praised by Kirkus Reviews as “[A] gripping narrative…captivating…enthralling…” while Publishers Weekly declared in its starred review, “Salisbury and Sujo evoke with flair the plush art world and its penetration by the seductive Drewe as well as the other players in this fascinating art drama.”
A graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, Salisbury worked for Reuters and the Associated Press, reporting from Africa, the Middle East, and New York. She is the coauthor of “The Cruelest Miles”, which is being made into a major motion picture. Salisbury’s spouse and co-author, Aly Sujo, passed away late last year after the manuscript for “Provenance” was completed. The son of a New York art gallery owner, Sujo was a journalist for twenty years, covering the arts, entertainment, and foreign news for Reuters, the Associated Press, and the New York Daily News.
The breakfast is a ticketed event—those not attending the conference are invited to purchase tickets for the breakfast by selecting “Preconferences and Ticketed Events Only” as your registration type, then selecting the breakfast (event code RU1) from the list of ticketed events. Tickets start at $50 for RUSA members. Access the online conference registration form to register today, or visit www.ala.org/annual for more information.

