James Castle & the book

by Tom Trusky

Definitive biography of the autistic, self-taught Idaho artist bookmaker, James Charles Castle (1899-1977). 100 color and b&w photographs, illustrations; with endnotes, appendix, bibliography, and index.

Genres: Art

18 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Joe]

Really, really amazing. Not only is Castle a great artist, but there are so many viewpoints to check out in this book. It was really interesting to see how people in a rural farming community viewed art and the process vs. the "art world," and artists in general, Castle's interesting situation notwithstanding. A deceptivley small book, the layout of information was confusing at first. However, once one finishes, one sees the reasoning behind mention of facts that are witheld until later in the book. A "must-read" for anyone interested in art.

[Paul Hankins]

Research for Multigenre T.H.I.S. Project 2018.

[KC]

Very well researched & organized. Trusky has clearly put years of work into this book doing everything from interviewing Castle's family & friends to digging through archives. Sometimes the story gets a bit repetitive & dry, but overall is a great read.