“They met in ordinary ways,” writes Rachel Cohen in her introduction, “a careful arrangement after long admiration, a friend̵...
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reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Charles
rated it: 
This review originally appeared in the San Jose Mercury News:
Mosaic. Collage. Tapestry. Snapshots in an album. . . . I suspect that I'm not the only reader who'll be tempted to search for a metaphor to sum up what Rachel Cohen is doing in this remarkable book. But none of those quite captures her achievement: a portrait of American artistic and literary culture from the mid-19th century to the late-middle 20th.
Not a complete portrait, of course. All sorts of impor More...
Mosaic. Collage. Tapestry. Snapshots in an album. . . . I suspect that I'm not the only reader who'll be tempted to search for a metaphor to sum up what Rachel Cohen is doing in this remarkable book. But none of those quite captures her achievement: a portrait of American artistic and literary culture from the mid-19th century to the late-middle 20th.
Not a complete portrait, of course. All sorts of impor More...
Feb 22, 2010
What a cool book! Each of the 36 short chapters in this book tells, in an addictively readable way, of a meeting between two or three American writers and artists. Some of the pairings are unsurprising, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston or Edward Steichen and Alfred Stieglitz, while others are unexpected. Willa Cather and Mark Twain?! Hart Crane and Charlie Chaplin?! James Baldwin and Norman Mailer?! The author highlights the quirks and character of each person and includes lots of jui
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Aug 02, 2008
Aleathia
rated it: 
This book spans from 1854 to 1967 and studies the intermingling of writers and artists across time. Included are 30 people from Henry and William James, Mark Twain, Willa Cather and Katherine Anne Porter to James Baldwin, Beauford Delaney, Marcel Duchamp and John Cage. There are so many wonderful artists in here, some of whose work I am familiar, but many who I am not. It inspires me to want to reach further into their lives and sample the work.
The point that seemed recurrent to m More...
The point that seemed recurrent to m More...
Apr 15, 2010
Dan
rated it:
A book about random encounters betweens American artists and writers during the past 150 years... Strangely, I met the author of this book while traveling on the Bolt bus between Boston and New York. We talked the entire ride about our experiences as writers, teachers, humans... Haven't seen Ms. Cohen since, but her book is certainly captivating from the very first chapter. Looking forward to this one.
Dec 28, 2008
Jill
rated it:
I've read this book in fits and starts because of personal stuff, but I really recommend reading it straight through in order to be able to mentally maintain all the connections between the people. It was truly fascinating, and there are connections I never would have guessed at. The interconnectedness of this group of people is astonishing. It is all about the interconnectedness of artists of various sorts and writers specifically, from 1854 to 1967. Ulysses Grant, Mark Twain, Henry James,
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Mar 09, 2010
Beth
rated it:
Cohen recreates actual meetings between famous artists -- Henry James and Matthew Brady, Willa Cather and Mark Twain, Hart Crane and Charlie Chapman, etc. You'll learn a lot about American history and culture and Cohen's style is artful, articulate and very enjoyable.
Sep 18, 2007
Genna
rated it: 
This book was really interesting to read as a sort of behind the scenes look at the writers who write what we love to read, as well as the photographers, artists, musicians, etc. who played a role in their lives. It grounds each writer/artist as having a beginning where he/she struggled with the craft and hoped to get noticed. Each chapter creates a link between two or more familiar names as peers who critiqued each other's work, drinking partners, lovers, or artsy friends who just hung out.
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Apr 10, 2008
"Half-read" is a gross exaggeration, I have to say, but I did read the introduction and skim a number of the chapters. I'm rather allergic to non-fiction, but this book has a narrative grace that was attractive (so much so that maybe one day i'll finish it??). a friend actually called me as she was reading it to immediately let me know of it's existence: the researched and recreation of years of literary and artistic wunderkind's influences on each other, socially and otherwise. it's e
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Dec 10, 2008
Litlove
rated it:
Brilliant collection of intertwined vignettes of the lives of artists and writers, from the Civil War to the mid 20th century. Highly recommended for anyone interested in cultural history
Sep 19, 2007
Amy
rated it:
I love books like this, that include mini bios of writers and artists. And this one has its fair share of fun details about writers' and artists' lives and how they crossed. Ultimately, though, a lot of people made brief appearances, and multiple appearances, and thinking back about it now, it's hard to remember which details apply to whom. I prefer the organization of Francine Prose's The Lives of Muses, which was seven (or nine?) short bios of women who inspired artists, told one after anot
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Mar 30, 2008
Susan
rated it:
This is what I'd call speculative non-fiction. Rachel Cohen researched many of the literary and artistic luminaries and their encounters with each other. She then writes short vignettes of what those encounters might have been like. For instance, Willa Cather meeting Mark Twain or James Baldwin meeting Norman Mailer. It's cool.
Mar 19, 2007
Kamili
rated it:
I got this for $6.98 dollars at Barnes and Noble yesterday. I read three chapters in the store. It was like looking a puppy in a pet shop. It was so cute and cheap I had to take it home. As a bonus, there is really funny copy of a daguerrotype of Walt Whitman, who apparently loved to have his picture taken (that's in the book).
May 06, 2007
corinne
rated it:
And it's not just because she's a great teacher, and offered me a bite of her apple during Conference.
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