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Going Once
A legend in the field of auctioneering candidly describes his career at Sotheby's, giving a backstage look at a fascinating world of privilege and art, and explains how AIDS has changed his life. 35,000 first printing.
- GenresNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 23, 2017
A friend let me borrow this memoir of Robert Woolley. I went in not knowing anything about him aside from what she said and the summary on the book jacket. He certainly led an intriguing life as a Sotheby's auctioneer and his involvement with the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Woolley writes in an engaging conversational style. Sometimes the amounts of money discussed in terms of auctions and lifestyle make your head spin.
June 6, 2019
3.5 stars.
I picked this book in my local friends of the library sack sale. Total cost divided up between all the books I got in that sale, this book set me back a whopping 80 cents. I don’t really know why I picked it up; I had never heard of Robert Woolley before. The entirety of this book takes place before I was born and in a social class/social circle I could never hope to achieve. I was browsing the biographies shelf and saw it and saw Sotheby’s name on the cover and thought “oh the auction house” and next thing I know it’s in my bag that I’m forcing my friend to carry around for me.
Over the course of this book, I learned quite a bit more about the auction world, but I can’t really say I know Robert Woolley any better. Towards the end of this book Woolley makes the comment that he answers the question “How are you doing?” very differently depending on who asks it. Telling acquaintances who just want him to be okay exactly what they want to hear. Telling friends who care what is actually going through his head. That’s what this book feels like to me. An acquaintance asking him how he’s doing, and him giving a surface level answer. It’s interesting. It’s educational. It’s compelling. But it’s not really Robert Woolley.
I think, from what glimpses of Robert Woolley I do see in this book that the best conclusion I CAN come to about him is that he was a man I greatly respect but, for a number of reasons, not one I think I would actually like.
My primary concern is his pretentiousness, which he readily admits to and is evident on almost every page. I believe Robert Woolley was aware of how truly lucky he was to end up where he did, but it gives me a great deal of pause that he so briefly acknowledged his fortunate rise and didn’t seem to hold onto his roots or make an effort to remain at all humble during his years of success. (I’m particularly thinking of his story of selling the American Indian statue when he seems almost judgmental that the buyer only ever bought that one piece. Or the time he’s listing his rules for benefit galas, and he mentions that men have work to do in the morning as if women across New York City don’t have anything else to do but party and spend their husbands money).
Further dealing with pretensions , I’m sure it’s the “just the highlights” nature of the book and was not his actual viewpoint, but many, many people in this book seem to only be deemed relevant to Woolley when they relate back to his career. His acquaintance with Andy Warhol is only mentioned when competing for Warhol’s estate. Mrs. Dodge, the elderly recluse who lived across from where he went to school, is only of note after she dies and he gets to judge her possessions. Elton John, who he becomes friends with later in the book, only crops up at benefit auctions when he’s buying or selling pieces. Many other friends are only mentioned in the context of whatever auction they related to. There’s so many interesting characters who touch Woolley’s life, but he only mentions them when their involvement in his life directly benefitted him.
I think my greatest moment of pause came when Robert Woolley’s long time partner and love of his life Jeffrey took a trip to New Orleans and began a relationship with a man who was married with children. (Jeffrey pursuing relationships outside of his with Robert was something they both agreed to and is frequently discussed in conjunction with the few times Robert brings up his love or his personal life.) What bothers me is that Robert Woolley is acutely aware of a relationship his partner is pursuing with a married father, and he actively encourages it. I don’t believe Woolley was unaware of the effect this could have had on the lives of that man’s wife and children when they found out he was having an affair, but nevertheless Woolley encouraged it, which for my own personal history and reasons bothers me immensely.
Overall, I don’t believe my difference in attitude to Woolley or my firm disapproval of his encouragement of Jeffrey’s having an affair with a married man should detract from the good work Robert Woolley achieved in his lifetime. He was an openly gay male in a time when it wasn’t as easy as it is today. He battled AIDS and remained hopeful and optimistic to the very end. He supported AIDS research and variety of other worthy causes by volunteering his talents and support to benefits and auctions. He even reshaped the auction business to make it what we see today. Truly, a man worthy of respect.
I picked this book in my local friends of the library sack sale. Total cost divided up between all the books I got in that sale, this book set me back a whopping 80 cents. I don’t really know why I picked it up; I had never heard of Robert Woolley before. The entirety of this book takes place before I was born and in a social class/social circle I could never hope to achieve. I was browsing the biographies shelf and saw it and saw Sotheby’s name on the cover and thought “oh the auction house” and next thing I know it’s in my bag that I’m forcing my friend to carry around for me.
Over the course of this book, I learned quite a bit more about the auction world, but I can’t really say I know Robert Woolley any better. Towards the end of this book Woolley makes the comment that he answers the question “How are you doing?” very differently depending on who asks it. Telling acquaintances who just want him to be okay exactly what they want to hear. Telling friends who care what is actually going through his head. That’s what this book feels like to me. An acquaintance asking him how he’s doing, and him giving a surface level answer. It’s interesting. It’s educational. It’s compelling. But it’s not really Robert Woolley.
I think, from what glimpses of Robert Woolley I do see in this book that the best conclusion I CAN come to about him is that he was a man I greatly respect but, for a number of reasons, not one I think I would actually like.
My primary concern is his pretentiousness, which he readily admits to and is evident on almost every page. I believe Robert Woolley was aware of how truly lucky he was to end up where he did, but it gives me a great deal of pause that he so briefly acknowledged his fortunate rise and didn’t seem to hold onto his roots or make an effort to remain at all humble during his years of success. (I’m particularly thinking of his story of selling the American Indian statue when he seems almost judgmental that the buyer only ever bought that one piece. Or the time he’s listing his rules for benefit galas, and he mentions that men have work to do in the morning as if women across New York City don’t have anything else to do but party and spend their husbands money).
Further dealing with pretensions , I’m sure it’s the “just the highlights” nature of the book and was not his actual viewpoint, but many, many people in this book seem to only be deemed relevant to Woolley when they relate back to his career. His acquaintance with Andy Warhol is only mentioned when competing for Warhol’s estate. Mrs. Dodge, the elderly recluse who lived across from where he went to school, is only of note after she dies and he gets to judge her possessions. Elton John, who he becomes friends with later in the book, only crops up at benefit auctions when he’s buying or selling pieces. Many other friends are only mentioned in the context of whatever auction they related to. There’s so many interesting characters who touch Woolley’s life, but he only mentions them when their involvement in his life directly benefitted him.
I think my greatest moment of pause came when Robert Woolley’s long time partner and love of his life Jeffrey took a trip to New Orleans and began a relationship with a man who was married with children. (Jeffrey pursuing relationships outside of his with Robert was something they both agreed to and is frequently discussed in conjunction with the few times Robert brings up his love or his personal life.) What bothers me is that Robert Woolley is acutely aware of a relationship his partner is pursuing with a married father, and he actively encourages it. I don’t believe Woolley was unaware of the effect this could have had on the lives of that man’s wife and children when they found out he was having an affair, but nevertheless Woolley encouraged it, which for my own personal history and reasons bothers me immensely.
Overall, I don’t believe my difference in attitude to Woolley or my firm disapproval of his encouragement of Jeffrey’s having an affair with a married man should detract from the good work Robert Woolley achieved in his lifetime. He was an openly gay male in a time when it wasn’t as easy as it is today. He battled AIDS and remained hopeful and optimistic to the very end. He supported AIDS research and variety of other worthy causes by volunteering his talents and support to benefits and auctions. He even reshaped the auction business to make it what we see today. Truly, a man worthy of respect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2013
As much a highly personal story of AIDS, as the art and society scene in New York in the 2nd half of the 20th century.
August 29, 2013
Non-fiction. Learn about the inner workings of auctioning. Unfortunately the author, who is gay, contracted Aids and is dying.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews