Books About Art

This assortment of study guides focuses on the arts, from cinema to cuisine. Read on to explore Aristotle’s Poetics, which analyzes the nature and uses of poetry; An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski, a manual for actors based on the author’s work and teachings at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia; and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which chronicles the art of fine dining.

Publication year 1995

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1935

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Sociology, German Literature


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1989

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language

Tags Arts / Culture, Biography

The Writing Life by Annie Dillard is a work of creative nonfiction and memoir originally published in 1989 by Harper & Row. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dillard explores the triumphs and struggles of her early writing years while also offering advice and guidance to aspiring writers through imaginative anecdotes. Dillard has called the work “an embarrassing nonfiction narrative,” and she distances herself from all but the final chapter about the pilot, Dave Rahm... Read The Writing Life Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Biography, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World, Arts / Culture

Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude was published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 2004. A historical fiction novel for young adult readers, Thin Wood Walls explores the experience of incarceration through the eyes of an 11-year-old Japanese American boy during World War II. The novel depicts themes of hope, family, resilience, and xenophobia, or bigotry against individuals from other countries. Thin Wood Walls is a Washington Reads Selection and a Mark Twain Award nominee. It... Read Thin Wood Walls Summary


Publication year 1971

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Arts / Culture, Heinemann African Writers, African Literature


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (1999) is a young adult historical novel by Lensey Namioka that won the 2000 Washington State Book Award and the 2004 California Young Readers Medal for Young Adults. It focuses on a young Chinese girl growing up during a revolutionary period in the 1920s who refuses to have her feet bound as tradition dictates. A sequel, An Ocean Apart, A World Away (2002) focuses on the main character’s best... Read Ties That Bind, Ties That Break Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place

Tags Realistic Fiction, American Literature, Agriculture, Arts / Culture, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 1773

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Lyric Poem, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Neoclassical, African American Literature, Colonial America


Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Class, Modernism, British Literature, The Bloomsbury Group, Arts / Culture, Education, Education, History: World

Virginia Woolf’s Modernist classic To the Lighthouse was published in May 1927 by Hogarth Press, the publishing house founded by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard Woolf in 1917. The Modern Library placed To the Lighthouse on its list of the 20th century’s best English-language novels. The three-part novel, which is written entirely in Woolf’s own stream-of-consciousness literary style, marks To the Lighthouse as a seminal work of Modernism. Woolf herself described To the Lighthouse... Read To the Lighthouse Summary


Publication year 1919

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language

Tags Philosophy, British Literature, Education, Education, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics

Tags Business / Economics, Urban Development, Sociology, History: World, Arts / Culture

Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser brings new life and controversy to the study of urban areas with his book Triumph of The City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier (2011). The 2011 Penguin Books edition is the subject of this guide. Glaeser amasses evidence from his own research and elsewhere to prove the critical importance of cities to the progress of humanity. His thesis is that the many personal interconnections... Read Triumph of the City Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Language

Tags Incarceration, Arts / Culture, Education, Education, Sociology, Biography

True Notebooks: A Writer's Year at Juvenile Hall is a 2003 nonfiction book by Mark Salzman. In the first three chapters, Salzman, currently writing his latest novel, and stuck, begins volunteering as a writing teacher at Central Juvenile Hall, in Los Angeles. Mark has little connection with the correctional system, and is ambivalent about taking on the role. The facility leaves a powerful impression on Mark; he decides that it might prove to be helpful... Read True Notebooks Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1914

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Society: Nation

Tags British Literature, Arts / Culture, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Arts / Culture, History: World


Publication year 1993

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Education, Identity: Language

Tags History: World, Arts / Culture

A lifetime student of graphic arts and highly regarded artist himself, Scott McCloud first published Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art in 1993. The book is a graphic nonfiction work—literally a comic book about comics as an art form. Soon after its publication, the book began to garner extensive praise, and it continues to be well received three decades later. Understanding Comics received several awards including the Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book as well as... Read Understanding Comics Summary