Book Reviews

Once upon a time I used to write book reviews for a magazine. I always enjoyed this—although it was a challenge trying to reduce 200 pages or so to 350 words. But one of the nice things about having a blog is that I can mention a book before I’ve even read it, so I thought I’d mention three I got for my birthday you might like.
Atlas by Gerhard Richter. This is an 800-page survey of Richter’s photographs, collages and sketches. Just looking at a few pages tonight gave me several ideas I’m going to make a note of in my journal. This book won’t appeal to a lot of people, but if you’re a Richter fan and a Photoshop addict like me, you’ll love it.
Foolsgold: Making Something from Nothing and Freeing Your Creative Process by Susan G. Wooldridge. Poemcrazy, the book Wooldridge wrote in the mid 90s, has always been a favorite of mine. Her second book looks as good as the first. It’s about her continuing journey as a poet—she’s doing collage now too—so there is plenty of inspiration here, plus some cool exercises. It’s all text though, and I found myself wishing I could see some of her art.
Kaleidoscope Projects and Ideas to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis. This is a compilation of inspiring essays and projects by Simanaitis and other artists like Juliana Coles. Marissa brought it to our last club meeting and offered to loan it to me because she could see I was interested. But I decided to ask for it as a birthday present instead. This looks like a great book—lots of visuals—but the type is too small to read comfortably. If I’d been the editor and/or art director on this book, I would have split the information up and given Simanaitis a two-book contract because she deserves it.