Kids and Grown-ups Love It So

Not only was Laura Whitcomb's A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT chosen as one of the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults, but it also received a "Cuffie" from Publishers Weekly.

Every year, PW asks children's booksellers to name their favorite books in a variety of categories, and they named CERTAIN SLANT "Best Novel for Teens That Adults Would Love if They Knew About It."

Congratulations, Laura! You rock.

Yet More Praise for Kuh

The Chicago Tribune loved MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MODERN ART so much they decided to devote almost a full page of the Sunday Books section to the fascinating life of Katharine Kuh.

The reviewer calls the book "eye-opening and engaging," praising Kuh's "uncanny ability to concisely portray artists in all their emotional contrariness and creative fervor in finely crafted essays that are at once delectably anecdotal and keenly analytical."

If you haven't bought a copy for your favorite art lover yet, perhaps these closing remarks will persuade you:

"In sum, Kuh's witty and reflective reminiscences preserve invaluable chapters in the complex and resonant story of modern art. And how ennobling it is to spend time with a woman of resilience and vision, a writer of clarity and ardor, and an avid and knowledgeable art advocate dedicated to making art an integral part of our lives."

New Reviews for Kuh

Critic's are still loving MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MODERN ART. This weekend, The Economist, The Boston Globe and Newsday all praised Kuh's memoir.

Newsday calls Kuh's collection of essays "a thoughtful guide to the groundbreaking art she nurtured," allowing 21st century readers "to profit from her intimate understanding of the 20th century art and artists she supported so ardently and observed so intelligently."

The Economist finds Kuh's tales of her friendships with artists moving, but says that her description of Mark Rothko's troubled genius is particularly poignant:

According to Kuh, Rothko claimed an artistic kinship with Rembrandt, believing that they both sought what he called “a maximum of poignancy”. On the surface it is difficult to imagine two more different painters, but both poured their lives into their art and had the rare ability to connect to the human spirit. Katharine Kuh believed this was the key to great art. Luckily, she devoted her life to sharing it with others.

The Globe says the work is "a mesmerizing portrait of the genius behind the geniuses" and "exhilarating," saying "this book does what Kuh always wanted art to do -- it opens your eyes."

You can read the entire reviews here.

Another Coup for Kuh

The Christian Science Monitor gave MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MODERN ART yet another stellar review, calling Katharine Kuh's collection of essays "wonderful reading." The reviewer concludes, "These careful, sensitive, and well-written portraits of several giants from the 20th-century art world make this a deeply rewarding volume. One only wishes that Kuh had been able share her insights about more artists before she died."

You can read the entire review here.

Avis Berman, who edited Kuh's book, will be speaking at the Barnes & Noble on 82nd and Broadway on January 12th and at the National Academy Museum on February 15th.

Critics' Love Affair Continues

Booklist gave MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MODERN ART a starred review this week, calling Katharine Kuh "scintillating, incisive, and elegantly offhanded as she relates eye-opening anecdotes about her seminal curatorial adventures." The reviewer concludes by stating that "Kuh's evocative, engaging, and unique reflections enrich the stirring story of modern art and introduce readers to a refined and unstinting arts advocate who significantly enriched American culture."

Cincinnati CityBeat also praised Kuh's book, saying, "To call it a love affair is a severe understatement -- modern art was Katharine Kuh's life."

You can read both reviews here.