Collection: Art

NAMED A BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2023 by PITCHFORK, VARIETY, AND ROLLING STONE

A companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify, this book takes readers through the greatest hits that define a weirdly undefinable decade.

The 1990s were a chaotic and gritty and utterly magical time for music, a confounding barrage of genres and lifestyles and superstars, from grunge to hip-hop, from sumptuous R&B to rambunctious ska-punk, from Axl to Kurt to Missy to Santana to Tupac to Britney. In 60 SONGS THAT EXPLAIN THE '90s, Ringer music critic Rob Harvilla reimagines all the earwormy, iconic hits Gen Xers pine for with vivid historical storytelling, sharp critical analysis, rampant loopiness, and wryly personal ruminations on the most bizarre, joyous, and inescapable songs from a decade we both regret entirely and miss desperately.

New York Times Editors' Choice, One of NPR's Best Books of the Year

In this "infinitely readable" biography, award-winning author Mary Gabriel chronicles the meteoric rise and enduring influence of the greatest female pop icon of the modern era: Madonna (People Magazine) With her arrival on the music scene in the early 1980s, Madonna generated nothing short of an explosion--as great as that of Elvis or the Beatles--taking the nation by storm with her liberated politics and breathtaking talent. Within two years of her 1983 debut album, a flagship Macy's store in Manhattan held a Madonna lookalike contest featuring Andy Warhol as a judge, and opened a department called "Madonna-land."

But Madonna was more than just a pop star. Everywhere, fans gravitated to her as an emblem of a new age, one in which feminism could shed the buttoned-down demeanor of the 1970s and feel relevant to a new generation. Amid the scourge of AIDS, she brought queer identities into the mainstream, fiercely defending a person's right to love whomever--and be whoever--they wanted. Despite fierce criticism, she never separated her music from her political activism. And, as an artist, she never stopped experimenting. Madonna existed to push past boundaries by creating provocative, visionary music, videos, films, and live performances that changed culture globally.

Deftly tracing Madonna's story from her Michigan roots to her rise to super-stardom, master biographer Mary Gabriel captures the dramatic life and achievements of one of the greatest artists of our time.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE NEW YORK TIMES, NPR - WINNER OF THREE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARDS - Finalist for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction - A stirring account of how music bears witness to history and carries forward the memory of the wartime past - SUNDAY TIMES OF LONDON HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR

In 1785, when the great German poet Friedrich Schiller penned his immortal "Ode to Joy," he crystallized the deepest hopes and dreams of the European Enlightenment for a new era of peace and freedom, a time when millions would be embraced as equals. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony then gave wing to Schiller's words, but barely a century later these same words were claimed by Nazi propagandists and twisted by a barbarism so complete that it ruptured, as one philosopher put it, "the deep layer of solidarity among all who wear a human face."

When it comes to how societies remember these increasingly distant dreams and catastrophes, we often think of history books, archives, documentaries, or memorials carved from stone. But in Time's Echo, the award-winning critic and cultural historian Jeremy Eichler makes a passionate and revelatory case for the power of music as culture's memory, an art form uniquely capable of carrying forward meaning from the past.

With a critic's ear, a scholar's erudition, and a novelist's eye for detail, Eichler shows how four towering composers--Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Benjamin Britten--lived through the era of the Second World War and the Holocaust and later transformed their experiences into deeply moving, transcendent works of music, scores that echo lost time. Summoning the supporting testimony of writers, poets, philosophers, musicians, and everyday citizens, Eichler reveals how the essence of an entire epoch has been inscribed in these sounds and stories. Along the way, he visits key locations central to the music's creation, from the ruins of Coventry Cathedral to the site of the Babi Yar ravine in Kyiv.

As the living memory of the Second World War fades, Time's Echo proposes new ways of listening to history, and learning to hear between its notes the resonances of what another era has written, heard, dreamed, hoped, and mourned. A lyrical narrative full of insight and compassion, this book deepens how we think about the legacies of war, the presence of the past, and the renewed promise of art for our lives today.

The authorized biography of the legendary artist, Tupac Shakur, a "touching, empathetic portrait" (The New York Times) of his life and powerful legacy, fully illustrated with photos, mementos, handwritten poetry, musings, and more

Artist, poet, actor, revolutionary, legend

Tupac Shakur is one of the greatest and most controversial artists of all time. More than a quarter of a century after his tragic death in 1996 at the age of just twenty-five, he continues to be one of the most misunderstood, complicated, and influential figures in modern history. Drawing on exclusive access to Tupac's private notebooks, letters, and uncensored conversations with those who loved and knew him best, this estate-authorized biography paints the fullest and most intimate picture to date of the young man who became a legend for generations to come.

In Tupac Shakur, author and screenwriter Staci Robinson--who knew Tupac from their shared circle of high school friends in Marin City, California, and who was entrusted by his mother, Afeni Shakur, to share his story--unravels the myths and unpacks the complexities that have shadowed Tupac's existence. Decades in the making, this book pulls back the curtain to reveal a powerful story of a life defined by politics and art--a man driven by equal parts brilliance and impulsiveness, steeped in the rich intellectual tradition of Black empowerment, and unafraid to utter raw truths about race in America.

It is a story of a mother and son bound together by a love for each other and for their people, and the relationship that endured through their darkest times. It is a political story that begins in the whirlwind of the 1960s civil rights movement and unfolds through a young artist's awakening to rage and purpose in the '90s era of Rodney King. It is a story of dizzying success and its devastating consequences. And, of course, it is the story of Tupac's music, his timeless, undying message as it continues to touch and inspire us today.

In The Mindfulness Coloring Book, an international bestseller, illustrator Emma Farrarons invited busy people everywhere to relax and re-center by coloring in her delightful, hand-drawn scenes. Now, with The Mindfulness Coloring Book--Volume Two, Emma shares 100 pages of all-new designs: intricate geometric patterns, flowers, and friendly squirrels--plus owls, charming knickknacks, a surprise pineapple, and more. This travel-size book is the perfect antidote to too much screen time. Find whimsy--and mindfulness--wherever you are!

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts--and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities.

"This book blew my mind!"--Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

A BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR - Finalist for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award and the Porchlight Business Book Award

Many of us think of the arts as entertainment--a luxury of some kind. In Your Brain on Art, authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross show how activities from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture, and more are essential to our lives.

We're on the verge of a cultural shift in which the arts can deliver potent, accessible, and proven solutions for the well-being of everyone. Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol, no matter your skill level, and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years. They expand our understanding of how playing music builds cognitive skills and enhances learning; the vibrations of a tuning fork create sound waves to counteract stress; virtual reality can provide cutting-edge therapeutic benefit; and interactive exhibits dissolve the boundaries between art and viewers, engaging all of our senses and strengthening memory. Doctors have even been prescribing museum visits to address loneliness, dementia, and many other physical and mental health concerns.

Your Brain on Art is a portal into this new understanding about how the arts and aesthetics can help us transform traditional medicine, build healthier communities, and mend an aching planet.

Featuring conversations with artists such as David Byrne, Renée Fleming, and evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson, Your Brain On Art is an authoritative guide to neuroaesthetics. The book weaves a tapestry of breakthrough research, insights from multidisciplinary pioneers, and compelling stories from people who are using the arts to enhance their lives.

I kept trying to run away from me... ...but there was nowhere to go that I wouldn't be there. The more I ran, the more I needed to run. It was hard for me to see where I was headed because I was blinded by fear. The nightmares, the daydreams, and the panicking was going to be my demise.

Dakoda Foxx's debut memoir recounts her life from becoming a child bride at age thirteen, through seemingly endless cycles of abuse and assault, until the moment she decided to be her own savior and take back her life. Incredibly raw and always vulnerable, The Magic in the Nightmare that was Me is a story of survival, perseverance, and a spirit that refused to be broken.

I knew the direction that I wanted to go, and it was just a matter of time before the pieces of me fell into place like a puzzle.

A fashion icon in her own right, Keaton amusingly revisits and reflects on some of her favorite and not-so-favorite fashion moments over the decades, from childhood homemade outfits to red carpet ensembles and street style experiments she tried from the 1960s until today.

Since she could remember, Keaton has been fascinated by clothing and style. As a little girl, she would pick out patterns and request that her mother make her custom outfits. This was the beginning of a love affair with clothes and looks, and sometimes, fashion. From the outset of her acting career in the 1970s, the legendary star has experimented and thought outside the lines of what a Hollywood icon should wear and still became lauded as a style icon by Vogue, W, The Hollywood Reporter, and countless fashion websites. Keaton's style is at once timeless, experimental, bold, effortless, androgynous, quirky, and utterly and distinctly her own.

This is the celebrated film star's ode to her unforgettable fashion moments examined through Keaton's self-deprecating, charming voice, as she comments on her favorite looks and her biggest fashion faux pas. Images includes photos of a young Keaton sporting her mother's homemade ensembles, stylish snapshots from the 1960s and iconic 1970s looks highlighting her signature Annie Hall style, red carpet moments, magazine editorials, street-style shots, and selfies from the 1980s until present day. Striking fashion photographs by renowned photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Ruven Afanador, and Ron Gallela are accompanied by anecdotes about Keaton's inspiring style from her longtime friends, collaborators, and fashion designers, including Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kris Jenner, Nancy Myers, Blake Lively, and Thom Browne. Truly entertaining and stylish, this is the book fashion lovers and fans of the inimitable actor have been waiting for.

A fashion icon in her own right, Keaton amusingly revisits and reflects on some of her favorite and not-so-favorite fashion moments over the decades, from childhood homemade outfits to red carpet ensembles and street style experiments she tried from the 1960s until today.

Since she could remember, Keaton has been fascinated by clothing and style. As a little girl, she would pick out patterns and request that her mother make her custom outfits. This was the beginning of a love affair with clothes and looks, and sometimes, fashion. From the outset of her acting career in the 1970s, the legendary star has experimented and thought outside the lines of what a Hollywood icon should wear and still became lauded as a style icon by Vogue, W, The Hollywood Reporter, and countless fashion websites. Keaton's style is at once timeless, experimental, bold, effortless, androgynous, quirky, and utterly and distinctly her own.

This is the celebrated film star's ode to her unforgettable fashion moments examined through Keaton's self-deprecating, charming voice, as she comments on her favorite looks and her biggest fashion faux pas. Images includes photos of a young Keaton sporting her mother's homemade ensembles, stylish snapshots from the 1960s and iconic 1970s looks highlighting her signature Annie Hall style, red carpet moments, magazine editorials, street-style shots, and selfies from the 1980s until present day. Striking fashion photographs by renowned photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Ruven Afanador, and Ron Gallela are accompanied by anecdotes about Keaton's inspiring style from her longtime friends, collaborators, and fashion designers, including Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kris Jenner, Nancy Myers, Blake Lively, and Thom Browne. Truly entertaining and stylish, this is the book fashion lovers and fans of the inimitable actor have been waiting for.

This book examines US gay and lesbian leather archives alongside contemporary artistic practices that reframe and renegotiate historical source material, creating a queer politics of the present.

Author and filmmaker Greg Dorchak presents three more of his screenplays to be enjoyed as short stories. One, an unproduced darkly humorous thriller;

another, a workplace character-driven comedy made into a feature film; and the third, a buddy/road story that was re-imagined into an old-time radio

play. So grab that popcorn one more time, slap in your favorite actors... and enjoy these three comical stories.

Intriguing Theatre Critique by Christopher Soden: Performing Arts explored and reviewed, with an eye towards the astonishing.

In the mythical community of Folkland, storybook characters carry on everyday lives. In the middle of Folkland is Grandma's House of Waffles, the home of the famed golden waffle. Hansel performs occasional manual labor, eager to start a new life after being paroled for the gingerbread house incident. Katie Woodencloak, a bitter former princess who never envisioned she'd be a short order cook, mixes the waffles and pours delicious ambrosia. Rounding out the group is Little Red Riding Hood, who serves the golden waffles and faithfully keeps the waffle house running for her absent granny. One day, Grandma returns after losing all her money in Las Vegas, but what she hasn't mentioned is that she also lost the deed to the waffle house to a seemingly innocent sheep. However, that sheep turns out to be none other than Mr. Wolf, Folkland's shifty building inspector, who plans to leave public service and take over the waffle house in the hopes of learning the secret recipe for the golden waffles. Red and the other employees must figure out how to get the waffle house back into Grandma's hands before it's run into the ground!

While drag subcultures have gained mainstream media attention in recent years, the main focus has been on female impersonators. Equally lively, however, is the community of drag kings: cis women, trans men, and non-binary people who perform exaggerated masculine personas onstage under such names as Adonis Black, Papi Chulo, and Oliver Clothesoff.

King of Hearts shows how drag king performers are thriving in an unlikely location: Southern Bible Belt states like Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. Based on observations and interviews with sixty Southern drag kings, this study reveals how they are challenging the region's gender norms while creating a unique community with its own distinctive Southern flair. Reflecting the region's racial diversity, it profiles not only white drag kings, but also those who are African American, multiracial, and Hispanic.

Queer scholar Baker A. Rogers--who has also performed as drag king Macon Love--takes you on an insider's tour of Southern drag king culture, exploring its history, the communal bonds that unite it, and the controversies that have divided it. King of Hearts offers a groundbreaking look at a subculture that presents a subversion of gender norms while also providing a vital lifeline for non-gender-conforming Southerners.

"A neon-bright picture of gay nightlife, leftist class strivers, the seductions of the art world, and what Wu critically--but fondly--calls the 'empty orchestra' of Asian America. In fact, there he is now in his mesh coattails, striking the empty air." -- Andrea Long Chu, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic at New York magazine

An expansive and deeply personal essay collection which explores the aesthetics of class aspiration, the complications of creating art and fashion, and the limits of identity politics.

In Robyn's 2010 track Dancing on My Own, the Swedish pop-singer chronicles a night on the dance floor in the shadow of a former lover. She is bitter, angry, and at times desperate, and yet by the time the chorus arrives her frustration has melted away. She decides to dance on her own, and in this way, she transforms her solitude into a more complex joy.

Taking inspiration from Robyn's seminal track, emerging art critic and curator Simon Wu dances through the institutions of art, capitalism, and identity in these expertly researched, beautifully rendered essays. In "A Model Childhood" he catalogs the decades' worth of clutter in his mother's suburban garage and its meaning for himself and his family. In "For Everyone," Wu explores the complicated sensation of the Telfar bag (often referred to as "the Brooklyn Birkin") and asks whether fashion can truly be revolutionary in a capitalist system--if something can truly be "for everyone" without undercutting someone else. Throughout, Wu centers the sticky vulnerability of living in a body in a world where history is mapped into every choice we make, every party drug we take, and every person we kiss.

Wu's message is that to dance on your own is to move from critique into joy. To approach identity with the utmost sympathy for the kinds of belonging it might promise, and to look beyond it. For readers of Cathy Park Hong and Alexander Chee, Dancing on My Own is a deeply felt and ultimately triumphant anthem about the never-ending journey of discovering oneself, and introduces a brilliant new writer on the rise.