SELLING OUT

Vegas Elvis, sell out?

Elvis grew up poor. He started singing because he thought it might make him some money. "Artistic integrity" is the stuff of high-minded academics. It's the kind of phrase we unsuccessful writers comfort ourselves with during long, sleepless nights where dreams of time and age and anonymity have us sitting up, sweating, doing Sudoku.

"But I have never sold out," we say, panting, panicked.

Of course, no one ever asked us to.