Thomas La Hood
Writer

A lot of my best friends are artists. They dress in snazzy op-shop clothes and work for IHC or behind bars. They come to visit me at the library where I work and they always have big fines for glossy, outsize art books they have forgotten to return. They're my age, maybe a bit younger - in their early twenties; fresh out of Massey.

Some of them have exhibited at Enjoy, or Thistle Hall. When there's an exhibition coming up they're stressed out, driving around, getting my film-maker friends to do camerawork for them, my musician friends to create 'tracks' for their installations, taking photos in someone's backyard.

I don't know if any of them make any money from their artwork, but then I don't make any from my writing. I don't really know if any of them expect to either. It's a lifestyle.