Read “de Kooning” with us this summer

The Pulitzer Prize winning biography of abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning has been sitting on my shelf far too long. I need some accountability so I’m forming a Twitter book club. Here’s what I know so far.


The @abstanfield Twitter book club reading of de Kooning: An American Master begins Monday, June 8.

We’ll use this hashtag in our postings so we can find each others' comments on Twitter: #dekooning

This 600+ page book is a tome and has some dense reading. If we did 100 pages a week, it would take 6 weeks. But let’s start with that and see how it goes.

Grab a copy of the book from your library or favorite independent bookstore and join us! If you want to commit, please leave a comment along with your @Twitter handle.

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38 thoughts on “Read “de Kooning” with us this summer”

  1. I have to go see if Indigo has a copy…If yes, I’m in…@GroveCanada ,if anyone is on the fence, I have read The Girl with a Gallery, The Only True Genius in the Family, Seven Days in the Art World & am currently on The 12 million dollar stuffed shark, all because of ArtBizBlog, & all really good reads…

  2. Patrice deAvila

    What a great idea for a twitter art reading group. I will get and start on this this weekend. Thanks so much for thinking of it AND for organizing it. (Powell’s here I come!)

    Patrice @neotigress

  3. Alyson B. Stanfield

    Jim: That would be terrific! Do you have a Twitter handle to share with us?

    Katharine: Yes, a very good reason to activate that account! And probably a nifty way to learn to use it.

    Charlotte: I hope you’re more adept at Twitter on your cell than I am. I use Twitterific on my iPhone. Not sure if there is a better app.

    Casey: That’s for sure! You can’t write a decent (Pulitzer Prize winning) bio without bringing in the other cast of characters.

    Sari: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I sure hope you can find a copy. It also won a national critics award so I’m hoping it’s pretty easy for people to find at their libraries.

    Zachary: That’s a great story re your connection to deK.

    Patrice: Boy, you’re going to be ahead of us.

    Can’t wait to get this book off my shelf and into my hands!

  4. William R. Moore

    Hello Alyson,
    I have never been in a book club. I read this book this past year and I would like to follow the discussion or comments. I’m new to twitter, just hoping it is not too difficult for me to navigate. @WilliamRMoore

  5. I’m off today to look for a copy – I’ll try Better World Books if the library can’t get it for me.

    Love the irony of a book club discussion in 140 characters.

    @geminiriver

  6. Yep, sounds good, and the accountability part is great. I think maybe I’ll start a book club here in San Francisco as well. Which will get me off my lazy a** and get all those books read! twitter me at @tesia

  7. I’m up for my first book club experience too!
    Just got the book requested from the library…with no waiting list, should have it midweek. @LizCrain is my Twitter handle and maybe it will give me a reason to like it.

  8. This is probably the one thing that could get me to join twitter. My other addiction besides art is books! I’m @artistruthie

  9. I do have an interest in this artist. I would l like to follow/participate on Twitter. BTW, I read two volumes of Proust in a group, it does make a difference.

    @MarieKazalia

  10. Check out our new online gallery to see over 3,000 original artworks submitted by over 1,200 artists from 17 different countries and 36 different states! Each artwork is 6×6 inches, displayed anonymously until purchase, and on sale for $20! Help support Rochester Contemporary Art Center by participating in the second and final year of 6x6x2009!

    Online Gallery: http://www.roco6x6.org

    For more information about 6x6x2009:
    http://www.rochestercontemporary.org/6x6x2009.html

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Get a transcript of episode 182 of The Art Biz (Rethinking Mailing Lists for Artists) followed by a 3-page worksheet to evaluate the overall health and usage of the 3 types of artist lists.

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