The Critic at Rest: A Novel

When a celebrated art critic wanders into a local high school art show, the lives of two teenage girls are changed forever.

Told through the sharp, observant eyes of Beth, The Critic at Rest follows her lifelong friendship with Quincy, a gifted young artist whose talent attracts the attention of the charismatic and eccentric Neil Barris. Equal parts mentor, champion, and cautionary tale, Neil introduces the girls to the vibrant Los Angeles art world of the 1960s, opening doors neither imagined possible.

As Quincy’s artistic career flourishes and Beth pursues her own creative ambitions, the two friends navigate love, loss, family, and the social upheavals of a changing America. Through it all, Neil remains a complicated and magnetic presence—brilliant, self-absorbed, inspiring, and increasingly unpredictable.

Spanning decades of friendship, artistic ambition, and personal reinvention, The Critic at Rest is a witty, poignant coming-of-age novel about the people who shape our lives, the stories we tell about them, and the enduring power of art to transform us.

About the Author

Diane Leslie was born in Hollywood and by age nineteen was working as a television researcher and story analyst. After sailing halfway around the world, she married a sailboat rigger. Home in Los Angeles once again, she began writing fiction while raising two sons. For thirty years she hosted author readings and led book groups at Diesel and Dutton’s Brentwood Bookstores. She is the author of Fleur de Leigh’s Life of Crime and Fleur de Leigh in Exile. This brilliant novel is being published posthumously.

Praise for The Critic at Rest

“The Critic at Rest is a sharply observed, wonderfully witty, and soberly nostalgic journey into the heart of the 1960s Los Angeles art scene. I couldn’t put down this delightful and enchanting exploration of creativity, ambition, and lifelong friendship. Bravo!”
—Antoine Wilson, author of Mouth to Mouth

“…a delightful book, full of charm and humor.”
—Peter Lefcourt, author of The Dreyfus Affair