“A day spent reading is not a great day. But a life spent reading is a wonderful life.”
–Ayad Akhtar, Homeland Elegies
Books can offer an escape, a fresh perspective, a moment of connection, and so much more. The magic of reading builds over time, offering a deeper understanding of ourselves and a wider view of the world. While a book may only be with us for a moment, the ideas stay long after the final page.
Annie Hémond Hotte joined us recently to talk about The Divine Comedy: Hell, her show on view at Margot Samel Gallery until November 14. The work explores a small section of Dante Alighieri’s book of the same name and is one of three shows that will cover the entire work. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.
Dona Nelson joined us in 2022 to discuss her exhibition, ReFiguring, One Painting at a Time (1977–2022). The exhibition’s title reflected Nelson’s artistic process and challenged the notion that abstraction necessarily eliminates the figure, suggesting instead that figures may exist within paintings and engage with them as viewers. To learn more about Nelson’s practice and the exhibition, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
How have books shaped your life? Tell us in the comments.
Outings.
Join me at Luhring Augustine Tribeca for a group show titled In a Free State
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More Books to Read.
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Jerri Allyn is reading Atmosphere of Sound: Sonic Art in Times of Climate Disruption by Victoria Vesna and Anuradha Vikram
Opportunities.
The Riverside Arts Center invites artists to submit works for its Anything But…Plastic group exhibition, featuring art made entirely without synthetic polymers. Visit the website to learn more. Deadline is November 9.