Fall Art Books: Satirical Novels, Poetry, and Biographies
Hyperallergic's fall reading list highlights 15 anticipated art-world titles, including satirical novels, poetry collections, and biographies, with a focus
A new slate of art-world novels, poetry collections, and biographies is arriving this fall. Hyperallergic's editors have compiled a list of 15 anticipated titles, including satirical art-world novels and books that blend genres.
Art historian Jennifer Higgie's novel 'Bedlam,' reissued in July, presents a fictional account of painter Richard Dadd's life and mental health struggles. According to a review by Claudia Ross, Higgie writes the novel in Dadd's voice, avoiding sensationalism. The book exemplifies a trend toward genre-blurring works.
Ann Patchett's 'Whistler'
Ann Patchett's tenth adult novel, 'Whistler,' tackles themes of loss and art. The book is named for a horse within its story, linking it to the current Year of the Horse zodiac theme. Reviewer Lavinia Liang notes the novel arrived just a month before Christopher Nolan's summer film adaptation of Homer's 'Odyssey,' which also features a Trojan horse.
Challenging Art Historical Terms
A review by Nageen Shaikh highlights a book on 18th-century Pahari painting from India. The book warns against using the Western term 'miniatures' to describe these works. Shaikh notes scholars are moving away from that characterization to better illuminate the artistic collaboration and ways of life central to the tradition.
Other Notable Releases
The fall lineup includes Guadalupe Rosales's memoir, Christine Sun Kim's artist book, and Fady Joudah's ode to the people of Gaza. Elizabeth Alexander's forthcoming essay collection is also highlighted. In exhibition news, an upcoming show will focus on Virginia and Leonard Woolf's Hogarth Press.
News and Zine Culture
Several other releases are noted. Siddhesh Gautam has a graphic novel on anti-caste organizing coming out in India. Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor's 'End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World' is due next week with a North American tour. Claudia Rankine begins a tour for her book 'Triage.'
Zine culture is thriving, as shown by Michelle Millette's Sherwood Forest Zine Library in Austin, Texas, which houses 3,000 zines. An exhibition titled 'Paper Cuts' at Manhattan's Center for Book Arts will feature over 600 zines from small presses. Curator Christopher Kardambikis, in an email, said the show marks the end of the 'Paper Cuts' podcast and highlights creators like Caroline Kern of Pegacorn Press.
Editors are also reading widely. Senior editor Valentina Di Liscia is immersed in Solvej Balle's 'On the Calculation of Volume' series, about a woman in a time loop. Co-founder Hrag Vartanian is enjoying Cat Sebastian's 'After Hours at Dooryard Books,' a love story set in a 1968 New York bookshop against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.
