Art

From Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita to Raven Leilani's Luster, the texts in this collection investigate themes related to the power and promise of many types of art — from the written word to visual arts such as painting and cinema.

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Immigration

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Asian Literature, Music, Biography


Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Language, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Self Discovery

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Self Help


Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Philosophy, Existentialism, German Literature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Steppenwolf, originally published in German in 1927, then translated into English in 1929, is the eighth novel published by Swiss German novelist Hermann Hesse. The novel was commercially successful upon publication, and it remains a popular novel to the present day. However, Hesse remarked that whereas his intention was to find humor in life and resist despair, Steppenwolf has often been misunderstood as a glorification of suffering. Much of Hesse’s body of work addresses spiritual... Read Steppenwolf Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Published in 2005, Still Life is Louise Penny’s debut novel, the first in a series of mystery novels set in rural Canada featuring detective Armand Gamache. Penny won multiple awards for Still Life, including a Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Award, a Barry Award, an Arthur Ellis Award, an Anthony Award, and the Dilys Award. A made-for-TV film adaptation produced by PDM Entertainment aired in 2013. This guide is based on the 2006 Minotaur Books edition.Content... Read Still Life Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1958

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Southern Gothic, Play: Drama, American Literature, Southern Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Suddenly Last Summer (1958) is a one-act play by American playwright Tennessee Williams. It was originally staged with another Williams drama (Something Unspoken) in a double bill known as Garden District and met with mixed reviews upon its Broadway premiere. This may have been due to the content of the play, which includes pedophilia, cannibalism, and relationships between men (considered scandalous at the time). Indeed, Williams reportedly modeled Suddenly Last Summer and its two-monologue structure... Read Suddenly, Last Summer Summary


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Surviving the Applewhites is a children’s novel written by American author Stephanie S. Tolan and was first published in 2002.The narrative follows Jake Semple, a troubled teenager forced to move in with the unconventional and eccentric Applewhite family following an incident at school. Jake struggles to fit in at first but gradually sheds his past transgressions and undergoes a transformative journey toward self-discovery and redemption. The novel touches on Personal Growth and Transformation, Individuality Versus... Read Surviving the Applewhites Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Music, Realistic Fiction, British Literature, Arts / Culture, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Gender / Feminism, History: African , History: European, Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

Swing Time (2016) is renowned author Zadie Smith’s fifth novel. Inspired by classic movie musicals and Smith’s childhood passion for musical theater, Swing Time is a story about women, how forms of privilege warp our worldviews, and the ways in which history informs our present. The novel is divided into seven parts, each narrated by the same unnamed protagonist sometimes as a child and sometimes as an adult.One of the most respected literary voices of... Read Swing Time Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Humor


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ

Tell the Wolves I’m Home is the 2012 debut novel of author Carol Rifka Brunt. In it, 14-year-old narrator June Elbus wrestles with her grief over the death of her uncle Finn Weiss, who died of AIDS. Set in 1987 New York at the height of the AIDS crisis, the novel confronts the stigmas surrounding the disease through June’s parents and sister, who blame Finn’s long-term partner, Toby Aldshaw, for transmitting AIDS to Finn. As... Read Tell the Wolves I'm Home Summary


Publication year 1648

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Restoration


Publication year 1844

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture

The United States Magazine and Democratic Review first published Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Artist of the Beautiful,” in 1844. Two years later, it appeared in a collection of Hawthorne’s stories, Mosses from an Old Manse. Drawing from both Romantic and Transcendentalist traditions, “The Artist of the Beautiful” is a science-fictional tale about the creation of art and the life of the artist, set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. Peter Hovenden and his... Read The Artist of the Beautiful Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Arts / Culture, Crime / Legal


Publication year 1888

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realism, Italian Literature, American Literature, History: World

The Aspern Papers by Henry James is a novella first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888. The unnamed protagonist and narrator is an editor and obsessive fan of fictional poet Jeffrey Aspern, who is no longer living. Having heard that a former romantic partner of Aspern’s, Juliana Bordereau, and her niece, Tita Bordereau (renamed Tina in later editions), are in possession a collection of papers related to the poet, the narrator rents rooms in... Read The Aspern Papers Summary


Publication year 1977

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Philosophy, Education, Social Justice


Publication year 1678

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Lyric Poem, Colonial America, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 1933

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War

Tags LGBTQ, Arts / Culture, French Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography


Publication year 1912

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Race

Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Arts / Culture

Published anonymously in 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is James Weldon Johnson’s fictional memoir centered on how a talented man born to a Black mother and a white father after the Civil War became white in the early-20th century. Johnson, an important critical and artistic contributor to the Harlem Renaissance, published the novel under his own name in 1927 during the height of the movement. The novel is an important bridge between the... Read The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man Summary