Item World: Fake stuff, DiCamillo & more

Fun with fakes The story of Mark Forgy, the Hopkins High grad who became heir to the "greatest art forger of our time," is almost as improbable as that of his benefactor, Elmyr de Hory. A Hungarian-born artist who fell into the forgery business after World War II, De Hory and his dealers successfully hawked his ersatz Picasso, Renoir, Matisse and Modigliani sketches into private and museum collections. Forgy, who now lives in New Prague, has just self-published "The Forger's Apprentice," a lively, gossipy account of the seven years he spent with De Hory on the Spanish island of Ibiza, where he was swept up in a jet-set world (Ursula Andress, Marlene Dietrich). Clifford Irving recounted DeHory's life in a 1969 biography, "Fake," and Orson Welles treated it in a 1974 documentary, "F for Fake." After De Hory's suicide in 1976, Forgy settled his estate, returned to Minnesota and put the high life behind him -- until now. "Apprentice" is an incredible read, full of utterly improbable but evidently real characters, and redeemed from its Euro-trash name dropping by Forgy's down-home metaphors. Observing Dietrich at a London dinner party, he writes: "More alarmingly, her teeth had discolored as though placed in a water glass each night with a generous dollop of Copenhagen chewing tobacco." Forgy is doing a free talk and book signing Oct. 3 at Burnsville Performing Arts Center.

MARY ABBE

More fun with fakes No one is going to confuse Josh Gosfield with Clifford Irving, but he's created an elaborate hoax that's no secret. Gigi Gaston was a sexy 1960s French rock star who existed only in Gosfield's mind and computer. A former art director of New York magazine, Gosfield has put together a gallery full of media for the nonexistent Gaston: LP covers, a music video (shot by Jean-Luc Godard), newspaper and magazine articles, publicity photos, posters, paper dolls and a name-dropping biography, featuring quotes from Janis Joplin, Keith Richards and Norman Mailer. Gosfield has even manufactured a scandalous trial as part of his commentary on the rise and fall of celebrities. "I wanted to bring something to the Twin Cities that we might not normally see," said Minneapolis entertainment impresario Jeff Siegel, who has set up a pop-up gallery at Supply Studio, 700 E. Hennepin Av., for this exhibit that has been shown in New York and London. "I always have my eye on the oddball."

JON BREAM

Her lips are sealed The publisher dropped just a few tantalizing details: New novel by Minneapolis award-winning writer Kate DiCamillo to be published next year. The book is called "The Illuminated Adventures of Flora and Ulysses," with illustrations by K.G. Campbell. DiCamillo of "Because of Winn-Dixie" fame said in a press release: "There is a line from the 13th century poet Rumi that I kept close by as I worked on this novel: 'The grief armies assemble, but I'm not going with them.' For me, 'The Illuminated Adventures of Flora and Ulysses' is a book about joy and laughter, about moving away from grief and turning toward love. Additionally, it is a book about seal blubber." It will be published in September 2013 by Candlewick Press.

LAURIE HERTZEL

IATSE says WTFPulitzer-winning novelist Junot Diaz was met by a rapturous, near-capacity crowd Tuesday at his Talking Volumes interview/signing at the Fitzgerald Theater. Just as he was about to leave at the end of the evening, a couple of stagehands called Diaz to center stage. They had two things in mind. First, they wanted to initiate him into the local union of stagehands. "After dropping so many f-bombs tonight, you're now officially a member of IATSE ," they said with a laugh. They also wanted him to sign the back wall of the Fitz, a tradition in which Diaz happily participated. (Minnesota Public Radio will broadcast the Diaz interview at 11:20 a.m. Thursday.)

Southern cookin' "One of Us" hitmaker Joan Osborne, who grew up in Louisville, invited her opening act at the Dakota, Willie Walker, who grew up in Memphis, to duet with her on Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home," the title track of her current album of R&B and blues covers. The headliner let the guest take the first verse, and Walker, the old pro who calls Minneapolis home, found some serious Southern soulfulness that clearly inspired Osborne. They traded verses and shared choruses -- and received a rousing and deserved standing ovation at song's end. Said Osborne: "Man, I feel like I just took a master class."

JON BREAM

Funky homecoming Many participants in Saturday's release party for the Secret Stash Records compilation, "Twin Cities Funk & Soul: Lost Grooves From Minneapolis/St. Paul 1964-1979," are still active in the local club scene, including Willie Walker and Maurice Jacox. However, the label had to go looking for some of the singers coming to the Cedar Cultural Center concert. Among them was Jackie Harris, who founded the Black & Proud label in 1968 but then left the scene. "We were told he might be dead, so you can imagine how shocked I was when he called us up," said Secret Stash staffer Will Gilbert. Harris was far from lost: He now helms a chain of minority newspapers in Columbus, Ohio. Wanda Davis, on the other hand, has been retired from music and living a quiet life near Dallas since the '70s. She actually seems to have the greatest amount of excitement about the new compilation. "It was another lifetime ago, so it's nice to have something I can show to my daughter and grandchildren," said Davis. Read a full story on the great new anthology at startribune.com/music.