The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing

A New York Times Bestseller and one of Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2024. “The gift book of the year, a volume that should have broad appeal and deliver many hours of pleasure to the recipient. The Work of Art is a gorgeous book.” —John Warner, The Chicago Tribune. From Adam Moss, former editor of New York magazine, comes a stunning deep dive into how creativity happens. This book is a guided tour through the minds of celebrated artists, tracing the winding journey from first spark to final masterpiece.

What is the work of art? This question drives Moss’s exploration into the evolution of novels, paintings, songs, jokes, films, and more. Through vivid conversations, raw journal entries, napkin doodles, and rough sketches, artists open up about their process—the doubts, breakthroughs, and detours that lead to greatness. Featuring an extraordinary lineup of contributors including Kara Walker, Tony Kushner, Roz Chast, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Sondheim, Michael Cunningham, Susan Meiselas, Moses Sumney, Maria de Los Angeles, Ira Glass, Marc Jacobs, and many more—this book is an ode to the creative struggle and triumph. From roadblocks to revelations, The Work of Art captures the unseen labor that goes into creating something from nothing. It’s as much a work of art itself as the stories it tells.

Step Inside the Artist’s Mind

Featuring- 
Kara Walker, Tony Kushner, Roz Chast, Michael Cunningham, Moses Sumney, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Sondheim, Susan Meiselas, Louise Glück, Maria de Los Angeles, Nico Muhly, Thomas Bartlett, Twyla Tharp, John Derian, Barbara Kruger, David Mandel, Gregory Crewdson, Marie Howe, Gay Talese, Cheryl Pope, Samin Nosrat, Joanna Quinn & Les Mills, Wesley Morris, Amy Sillman, Andrew Jarecki, Rostam, Ira Glass, Simphiwe Ndzube, Dean Baquet & Tom Bodkin, Max Porter, Elizabeth Diller, Ian Adelman / Calvin Seibert, Tyler Hobbs, Marc Jacobs, Grady West (Dina Martina), Will Shortz, Sheila Heti, Gerald Lovell, Jody Williams & Rita Sodi, Taylor Mac & Machine Dazzle, David Simon, George Saunders, Suzan-Lori Parks

Details

• Hardcover
• 432 Pages
• Dimension: 9.8in x 7.6in