How Do You Read?

“Books, indeed, were his sole luxuries”

-Edgar Allen Poe, The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Dupin Tales

There are those for whom books are a universe unto themselves. They offer fully immersive worlds in which to lose oneself entirely, leaving the plane of reality and stepping across a threshold to places never before seen or heard of. Books can offer mere entertainment, or they can offer much, much more. For some, literature is a true refuge, an escape in real time. Beyond just a hobby to pass the time, books can be a lifeline.

Mark van Yetter joined us to discuss his show, Portraits and Landscapes, which ran until January 4 at Bridget Donahue Gallery. In the press release for the show, written by van Yetter himself, he discussed his reluctance to write about the work and commodify them in a gallery showing. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Matthew Leifheit chatted with us about his show, Gay Archives, which ran in the fall of 2024 at Union College’s Cromwell and West Galleries. You can take a virtual tour of the exhibit here. The show, curated by Rachel Stern, delved into independent community archives where, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, materials relating to the gay and lesbian political movement and more were collected as a response to larger institutions not accepting these items. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

A few words to keep in your pocket

What do books mean to you?

Outings.

Join me at Lisson Gallery in New York for Hugh Hayden: Hughmans

Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.

More books to read

Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Paul Lorenz is reading The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein.

Opportunities

MacDowell Fellowship offers free residencies to 300+ artists annually, focusing on artistic excellence across seven disciplines, with support available to ensure accessibility for artists worldwide. To learn more and apply, visit the website. Deadline for fall/winter 2025-2026 fellowship is February 10.

Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis Center for Aesthetics and is currently faculty at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He has written seven books for artists, including Making it in the Art World. His seventh book, The Problems in the Art World: An Artist’s A-Z Action Guide, is available now.