Art

From Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita to Raven Leilani's Luster, the texts in this collection investigate themes related to the power and promise of many types of art — from the written word to visual arts such as painting and cinema.

City Spies

by James Ponti

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Joy, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Justice, Art, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Teamwork, Family, Climate, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Self Discovery, Community, Wins & Losses, Friendship, Place, Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

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Click

by Kayla Miller

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Coming of Age, Friendship, Art, Self Discovery

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Confess

by Colleen Hoover

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Art, Family, Fathers, Guilt

Tags Romance, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

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Contrapposto

by Dave Eggers

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Aging, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Objects & Materials, Friendship, Art, Beauty, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Literary Fiction, Arts & Culture

Published in 2026, Contrapposto is a picaresque novel and Bildungsroman by American author Dave Eggers. The novel traces the life of a talented artist named Rob “Cricket” Dibb. From his childhood in Indiana to his entanglements with the contemporary art world, Cricket’s journey is a lifelong quest to reconcile his skill-based creative drive with the external pressures of commerce, theory, and ambition. The narrative explores themes such as The Corrosive Nature of the Art Market... Read Contrapposto Summary

Count Me In

by Varsha Bajaj

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Shame & Pride, Race, Childhood & Youth, Objects & Materials, Friendship, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Community, Immigration, Art, Safety & Danger

Tags Children`s Literature, Social Justice, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture

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Creativity, Inc.

by Edwin Catmull, Amy Wallace

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Art, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Self-Improvement, Arts & Culture, Biography

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (2014) is a business memoir by Edwin E. Catmull, a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios. Using his career as a framework, Catmull outlines his philosophy on how to build a sustainable creative culture. The book traces his path from a computer science student with a dream of making the first computer-animated feature film to his leadership roles at Pixar and, later... Read Creativity, Inc. Summary

Crome Yellow

by Aldous Huxley

Publication year 1921

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Mental Health, Friendship, Art, Literature

Tags Classic Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Comedy & Satire, British Literature, World History

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Crossed

by Ally Condie

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Coming of Age, Death, Self Discovery, War, Art, Justice, Literature, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Science & Nature, Social Justice

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Cyrano de Bergerac

by Edmond Rostand

Publication year 1897

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Art, Beauty, Truth & Lies, Grief, Shame & Pride, War, Literature

Tags Classic Fiction, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Romance, Life-Inspired Fiction, French Literature, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death, Finance, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction

Cyrano de Bergerac: An Heroic Comedy in Five Acts by Edmond Rostand was originally published in 1898. Rostand was a popular poet and playwright in France during his lifetime. Cyrano de Bergerac is a five-act verse drama—a tragic romance, set in France in the mid-1600s. It was far more popular than all of Rostand’s other works and has been performed and adapted countless times since its initial successful run.Cyrano de Bergerac explores themes of Unrequited... Read Cyrano de Bergerac Summary

Dead Poets Society

by N. H. Kleinbaum

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Art, Beauty, Education, Self Discovery, Fear, Fathers, Death, Friendship, Love

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Dramatic Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

IntroductionN. H. Kleinbaum’s Dead Poets Society is a 1989 novel based on the motion picture written by Tom Schulman. The novel was released as a companion piece to the wildly popular film—also titled Dead Poets Society and released in 1989— which starred famous actors such as Robin Williams as Mr. Keating, and Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson. The film scored high with critics, winning the Oscar in 1990 for Best Original Screenplay and receiving nominations... Read Dead Poets Society Summary

Dept. of Speculation

by Jenny Offill

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Literature, Mothers, Art

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Literary Fiction

Dept. of Speculation is a work of literary fiction by American novelist Jenny Offill. The novel was originally published in January 2014 by Alfred A. Knopf and was named one of the year’s 10 best books by the New York Times. Written in Offill’s customary fragmented prose, Dept. of Speculation reinvents the familiar story of marital infidelity into an examination of life’s meaning and purpose. Offill combines elements of philosophy, myth, science, and poetry to... Read Dept. of Speculation Summary

Dictee

by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Community, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Religion & Spirituality, Mothers

Tags Prose, Asian Literature, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee (1982) is a hybrid form of prose poetry, autobiography, ethnography, criticism, and fictional experiments. Cha was a Korean American visual artist, poet, and filmmaker. She was tragically murdered only a week after the book was published. The book went out of print for several years before interest in Cha’s work was revived in the 1990s by feminist authors, such as Norma Alarcón. Cha’s work was honored with an exhibition including... Read Dictee Summary