First published 2020
Twenty-six acclaimed writers including Anne Carson, Richard Ford, and Roxane Gay create literary responses to pieces from the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art's collection. Each author selects an artwork that speaks to them, whether Louise Bourgeois sculptures, Francis Bacon paintings, or Yayoi Kusama installations. The writers craft poems, essays, memoirs, and notes that translate visual experience into words. Carson might pen verses inspired by Alberto Giacometti's figures while Roxane Gay writes memoir fragments sparked by Andy Warhol prints. Colm Toíbín composes prose that captures his encounter with Joseph Beuys installations. The collection demonstrates how the same Francesca Woodman photograph can inspire vastly different literary interpretations. Writers deploy their distinct voices to bridge the gap between seeing and reading, showing how art moves through different creative minds.
Genres: art, literary-fiction, contemporary, writing, non-fiction, art-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, literary-response
Setting: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Period: 21st-century
188 pages · Hardcover · Louisiana Museum of Modern Art