Women Who Read Are Dangerous

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

This book was brought to my attention by one of my students during summer classes.  She loaned me her copy and after reading two pages of the foreword I knew I had to have my own copy of this book.  Women Who Read Are Dangerous is an exquisite art book featuring an assortment of images of women reading.  Each image is accompanied by information on the artist or on the subject being depicted or on the times in which the artwork was created.  It is a beautiful balance between imagery and information.

The foreword is astutely written by author Karen Joy Fowler and is followed by a lengthy essay on reading’s empowerment of women.  Author Stefan Bollman details the freedom of thought, the self-confidence and the increasing independence that developed over time as women were taught to read and had more and more access to books.  This is no mere “gift book” for one’s coffee table – though it should frequently be given as a gift and it should absolutely be on everyone’s coffee table.  This book is a tool to remind women just how powerful we really are.

For more information on this book, please visit…

https://www.amazon.com/Women-Who-Read-Are-Dangerous/dp/0789212560

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.