Book Summary: Monsters of Art Under the Bed

Art is not a job that is easily confined between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Artists need enough time to put pen to paper or brush to canvas. They also need hours or days to let their minds wander in search of inspiration. As Hillary Kelly writes for this magazine. The “dream state, contemplation, meditation” is what “creates space for thought.”

First, here are three new stories from atlantic oceanBook section of:

The demands of a creative life can sometimes conflict with the task of nurturing human relationships. This week we published Sophia Stewart’s review of Woo wooElla Baxter’s second novel, Sabine, the main character of the story, is a moderately successful mid-career artist. and is preparing for an important solo exhibition. But she is also part of what some writers call the “Monster of Art” Jenny Offill coined the term in her 2014 novel. Department of speculationTo refer to a person who ignores domestic customs to devote all his energies to creativity. And Sabine was able to do just that: she was a “bad spouse and a bad friend. Simultaneously needy and reckless,” Stewart writes, Sabine resembles the group of women who read Offill’s book. And imagine the artist relating to himself. “Not as a villain. But it’s an inspiration.” Willa Paskin wrote in 2018.–

Some creative geniuses make the world richer because of their work. Others use their cultural impact as an excuse not to treat others with basic respect. The latter group reminds me of Truly a notorious “art monster” who is an artist who not only ignores But it is also used in a wrongful or even criminal way. This figure raises a moral question: “What should we do with great works of art created by bad people?” as Claire Dederer asks in her 2023 book. monster: Fans’ problems– In other words How can we give a monster’s work its due without rewarding its creator? One answer is to completely separate the artistic value of a film, opera, or book from the conduct of its inventor. By arguing that some things are too valuable to accept. Too much to accept

Even if that logic is true But what about artistic monsters who create not-so-good works? This is the irony of Baxter’s novel: it turns out that Sabine doesn’t have much of an aesthetic vision. Much of what exists is driven by vanity. She is a passionate careerist and, worse, has a second-rate career. Sabine has not risen to the same level as the people Dederer studies in her book. She is selfish but maybe not cynical. Either way Sacrificing her produce didn’t seem like too big of a loss. This story reminds us that mediocrity is more common than genius. And so is bad behavior.

A terrifying satire of the evils of the art world.

By Sophia Stewart

Ella Baxter’s new novel explores why creative genius is often at odds with being a good person.

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Things to read

natural beautyBy Ling Ling Huang

Huang’s first novel is set in the health industry. This is a fertile source for physical discomfort. The speaker is a young classical musician. abandoning a bright future as a concert pianist to help her parents after an accident She works at the high-end beauty salon Holistik, which has products that are unnaturally effective. As the speaker becomes more involved with the company’s founding family, She discovers important clues that something is amiss, such as evidence of animal testing in a lab. and the dramatic physical transformation among clients. Yet, the financial dependency on her work and increasing entanglement with founders. Makes it hard for you to walk away When the power behind this company’s ethos and practices was finally revealed. was shocked and foretold right from the start – Tajja Esen

From our list: Read these six books—just trust us.

Your weekend read

A luxurious makeover of the world’s worst baked goods.

By Ellen Cushing

Some fetish foods have a life cycle: they are hated. Then they were elevated with a healthy dose of obsession using premium ingredients and better production techniques. Then liking these foods becomes a symbol of the taste and sophistication of being in Something. “getting it” in the figurative sense It has become just as rewarding. with receiving it in a material sense “You saw the unboxing video. And it starts the spiral effect of: I have to try this. I need to understand what’s going on here.” food influencer Katie Zukhovich told me. “I don’t think people could imagine that panettone was this good because it always has been. good–

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