An IZO reader writes, apropos the Markin-Kabakov bust-up:

These Russians should stop writing blogs - the diary is a tricky genre and very rarely shows the best part of the person.

That's true, and, what's more, conceivably even applies to some non-Russians. IZO isn't really a diary, but my old attempts to write a diary always foundered because of the attendant confusions: questions such as: what is my point-of-view? what is the tone I seek? AND WHO AM I, ANYWAY?