Art intimates life. (Yes, I meant to do that.)

Has anyone seen "White Collar" on USA Network? I swear I had no intention of making this an entertainment blog, but there you have it. This is a pretty entertaining show. (Also, I think Matt Bomer would be perfect as Matt Parsons in the eventual, inevitable film adaptation of WHOSS.)

You have to catch it from the pilot episode, though, because not only does it set the table for the plot, it also establishes the relationship between the main characters very nicely. In fact, I couldn't tell you much about the crimes that have been solved; they are secondary to the story. The real draw for me is the human interaction.

And that made me think. This is exactly what Rebecca told people last week about WHOSS. "Don't know finance? Don't worry! That part is secondary to the characters and their stories."

It's true, I guess. I remember when I was writing it, I would send frantic e-mail messages to my friend Peter along the lines of: "Ack! I need more detail about short selling or credit default swaps." And he would write back, "No." His point was that  I would lose people if I included too much technical information.

Turns out he was right. I knew plenty already, I communicated that knowledge succinctly, and then I kept the story moving. I'm trying to remain mindful of that in my current endeavor.

And I find it amusing that a TV show has underscored that lesson for me.