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Howie made an offhand remark in which he described the book as a failure.

When his assertions were challenged, he dismissed the criticism offhand, saying “I have other data,” and moving on.

At Singer’s offhand suggestion, Waskow adapted a “spaghetti western melody” from their old short film “Dear Mr. Vandekurt” — and a beat from the Jesus and Mary Chain — into the bass-heavy track.

“There is a kind of offhand intimacy to her work,” said Susan Kismaric, the former curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where Ms. van Manen’s work has been exhibited.

But not before scoping some of the rock ‘n’ roll swag adorning the walls and making “some offhand comments about how the place felt authentic and real.”