Daybook: The Journey of an Artist (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In December 1973, and in April 1974, I was given retrospective exhibits of my work in sculpture and drawing: the first at the Whitney Museum..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Aunt Nancy, Bryn Mawr (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anne Truitt is a sculptor, painter, mother, and grandmother. Daybook, her first published journal, is illuminating and nourishing: "It is as if there are external equivalents for truths which I already in some mysterious way know. In order to catch these equivalents, I have to stay 'turned on' all the time, to keep my receptivity to what is around me totally open. Preconception is fatal to this process. Vulnerability is implicitly in it; pain, inevitable." For Anne Truitt, art is life. While refusing "the inflated definition of artists as special people with special prerogatives and special excuses," she recognizes special difficulties and differences between artists and other professionals. The work of doctors and lawyers involves a clearly-defined practice, the skills needed by plumbers and carpenters are obvious. Artists however, must "spin their work out of themselves, discover its law, and then present themselves turned inside out to the public gaze." The mother of three children abandoned by a husband who never looked back, she is harried by everyday concerns: "I feel a little pulled at the seams. Too much is happening too fast for me to integrate. Life unrolls like a Mack Sennett comedy. The film is so speeded up that events threaten to splinter into nonsense." In a consistently tender and down-to-earth voice, Anne Truitt explores her life and work, gently guiding herself - and her fortunate readers - through a growing woman's life. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Jesse Larsen

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Cover Stained edition (March 6, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140069631
• ISBN-13: 978-0140069631
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #192,185 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving, well-written, and beautiful., December 8, 1998

By A Customer

In one of the greatest meditations on the artistic life ever written, Anne Truitt completes the trilogy of journals she began in 1979. In "Prospect" she discusses the joys of parenthood and grandparenthood, the perils of old age, and the way artists work. Each page is rich with insights and thought. Simply the best book I've read in five years. Her art is great, but it is for these books that Anne Truitt will be remembered, taking a place among diarists of historical significance.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous journal for women artists, October 11, 2004

By	C. L. Ferle (Midwest Reader and Writer) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I cannot say enough good things about this special book, which I discovered at an independent bookstore (and am forever grateful for that!) ... For anyone who is a fan of well-written journals and diaries, including those of May Sarton and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, this book will be a real treasure. I couldn't put it down, and consider it one of the best books on being an artist that I have ever read.

I should add that it would be especially comforting and inspiring for women who want to be artists (or writers) yet still maintain close, loving families and home life. For many women today, it is an "either or" proposition, but I love the way Anne Truitt shows how her domestic life informs and balances her art. This viewpoint give us all courage if we want to attempt the same lifestyle. Truitt raised three children on her own, and made her mark as an artist -- and a wonderful writer as well. What an inspiration for us all.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Artist's Journal, August 14, 2006

By	Virginia Allain "(retired librarian)" (Poinciana, FL) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I wanted to share what May Sarton said about this book:
"It has been an immense pleasure to read a journal so deep, succinct, and illuminating. The style is pared down and elegant as her sculpture appears to be as she writes about it. How rare to find an artist who can talk about her craft as she does!" (At Seventy - May Sarton)