SENT TO DICK CHENEY’S OFFICE

Dear Mr. Cheney,

I’m writing to invite you to a special event that will take place in New York on Friday, April 25 from 6PM to 8PM. The event is the opening of an exhibition called The New Normal, which explores the theme of privacy through 13 recent artworks.

As the curator of the exhibition, I owe you a great debt for providing us with this title. In October of 2001, you gave a speech in which you said that the increase in government surveillance after 9/11 should be thought of as permanent, as the “new normalcy”. It was an apt turn of phrase, and a keen observation; I am very grateful to you for it.

If you are able to visit the exhibition on Friday or at any time before 21 June, you can expect the highest level of hospitality and comfort. At the request of artists Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, we have assembled in the gallery all of the items requested by you in your ‘Vice Presidential Downtime Requirements.’ We had some difficulty ensuring that you would have access to Fox News, but we were able to get the satellite installed just in time. We were even able to reserve one of the venue’s two bathrooms for your private use. We have also elected to present you with a small gift, and I will be sure to make the Advance Office aware of this.

I hope to see you on Friday.

Very best regards,

Michael Connor