Hopper: Writers on Art

Just because the previous reviewer didn't get what he expected from this volume doesn't mean it isn't brilliant in its own right. From an outsider's perspective (I am not an art critic, but a literary scholar), I found Mark Strand's insights into Hopper's work to be refreshing and insightful, the first collection of art criticism I have read that speaks thoughtfully and intelligently to its readership without making the assumption that the reader already has the thoughts and inclinations of the critic him or herself. Instead, this is a book that teaches, and I am grateful for it!

Far more than just about Hopper and his paintings. Strand uses the paintings -- and the emotional effects carried out as a result of their geometry -- as a case study in how an artist uses negative space and suggestion to create pathos. If I were teaching creative writing, or any kind of creative art, I would have my students read and re-read this book.