An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin with Amy Carleton, Ph D.
Our book this week is An Object of Beauty, a novel released in 2010 by Steve Martin, chronicles the journey of the driven and charming Lacey Yeager as she navigates the New York art scene. Starting as an intern at Sotheby's, Lacey ascends to become a prominent gallery owner, revealing her questionable methods and the fluctuating dynamics of the art market from the 1990s to the present. Narrated by her friend Daniel, the story delves into themes of art, collecting, ambition, and social ambition within the art world, all infused with Martin's characteristic wit and dry humor.
My guest this week is Amy Carleton, Ph D. She teaches in the Comparative Media Studies/Writing program at MIT and is the co-founder of Black Notes Project, a Charlotte, NC-based music festival and nonprofit, as well as the creator of Lecture Notes, a public humanities series (and now Substack!). Her research focuses on the behavioral economics of online communities and the intersection of race and digital culture. She is a recipient of the MIT Teaching With Digital Technology award, holds a graduate certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University, and was selected by the WikiEducation Foundation as a Wikipedia Black History Scholar. Find out more about Amy through her website TheAmyCarleton.com
Our Drink this week is La Marca Prosecco, which is a popular offering at art galleries and showings. So sip some along with us as we dive into the art world of the 90s and 2000s!
In this Episode
Ways of Seeing by John Berger
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Exit Through the Gift Shop Documentary
Isabella Stewart Garden Museum Theft
Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross
The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel
Unfinished: The Role of the Artist in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Lucas Cantor Santiago
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc