Three Thousand Dollars marks the first appearances by Joan and Richard Freely, main characters in Lipsky's novel The Art Fair. Critics found resemblances to Lipsky's own mother, the abstract-expressionist painter Pat Lipsky. The Los Angeles Times noted that Lipsky's collection provided "astonishing insights into the machinations of the New York city art world."[1] The Wall Street Journal called Lipsky's portrait of the art world "treacherous, sly and amusing."[2]
Lipsky wrote the collection when he was 22[3] and a student in the MFA program at Johns Hopkins University. Novelist John Gregory Brown explained, "It was kind of apparent that Lipsky might have the brightest future of anyone [here]."[4]
Reception
The book was well-received upon publication. Lipsky was seen to possess "unlimited depth and range of vision,"[5] with the San Francisco Chronicle calling the work "an irresistible debut." Stories were compared to the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald.[6][7] Yearly round-up Magill's Literary Annual called the book "a vivid artistic rendition of the experience of growing up, a series of brilliant reflections and poignant insights," adding, "Lipsky’s subtle, fine humor and his irreverently inquiring voice always succeed."[8] The Providence Journal addressed Lipsky's "near-perfect pitch for dialogue."[7] The Los Angeles Times, while noting the book's "astonishing insights" into the art world concluded, "Lipsky has given his contemporaries a general autobiography, one that will fit the majority with only minor adjustments." The trade publication Booklist summarized, "Critics loved Lipsky's short story collection."[9]
