The Art of Intimacy: The Space Between

by Stacey D'Erasmo (Author)

6 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1555976477

ISBN-10: 1555976476

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The first work of nonfiction by Stacey D'Erasmo, author of the New York Times Notable Books Tea and The Sky Below

"What is the nature of intimacy, of what happens in the space between us? And how do we, as writers, catch or reflect it on the page?" Stacey D'Erasmo's insightful and illuminating study examines the craft and the contradictions of creating relationships not only between two lovers but also between friends, family members, acquaintances, and enemies in fiction. She argues for a more honest, more complex portrait of the true nature of the connections and missed connections among characters and, fascinatingly, between the writer and the reader. D'Erasmo takes us deep into the structure and grammar of these intimacies as they have been portrayed by such writers as Joan Didion, Toni Morrison, D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, and William Maxwell, and also by visual artists and filmmakers. She asks whether writing about intimacy is like staring straight into the sun, but it is her own brilliance that dazzles in the piercing and original book, The Art of Intimacy.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“D'Erasmo manages to teach, model, and argue many essential truths about intimacy within the slim volume, making The Art of Intimacy a perfect go-to resource for any writer, teacher, or thoughtful reader who wants line-level references to apt 20th- and 21st- century literature that represent intimacy in its kaleidoscopic diversity.” ―Los Angeles Review of Books

“D'Erasmo digs deep into the nuances of literature in order to find the hidden glue that links lovers, family, friends and enemies to each other and to the reader. . . . Readers and writers will gain a deeper appreciation for the lyric need for that which is left unsaid, like the pause in a piece of music which defines the notes around it.” ―Shelf Awareness

“A profound meditation on the relationships between fictional characters, the possibility and meaning of intimacy in fiction, and most vitally, an exploration by a master writer of how authors create relationships between readers and their stories. . . . An invaluable text for the writing classroom. . . . Buy this indispensable book.” ―The Rumpus

“Provides powerful insight . . . as D'Erasmo proved throughout, intimacy is often the result of what isn't said, of what needn't be said, of a closeness the readers feel but don't see.” ―Los Angeles Review

“The word intimacy evokes images of love, but the book also delves into the darker side of the subject: obsession. . . . D'Erasmo provides a lucid and provocative examination of the ill-defined concept of intimacy.” ―Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Stacey D'Erasmo is the author of The Sky Below, a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Favorite Book of the Year; A Seahorse Year; and Tea, a New York Times Notable Book. She teaches at Columbia University.

Series: Art of...
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Graywolf Press (July 9, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1555976476
ISBN-13: 978-1555976477
Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.4 x 7 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 6 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Comparative Literature
- #130 in Books > Reference > Words, Language & Grammar > Rhetoric
- #131 in Books > Reference > Words, Language & Grammar > Reference

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M. Reynolds

The Philosphy of Voyeurism

October 12, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

[This book will not tell you how to write intimate scenes, nor instruct you on what is a "successful" rendering of intimacy and what is not...Instead, we will venture together into a few of the meeting places, the spaces between, that have occurred in fiction."] pg. 12

I would say this book is trying to cover a "high concept writing approach", when exploring relationships between people. The examples offer methaphors and simlies on the complexity of human relationships in a way that can easily make any writer look like an amatuer. To pull it off sucessfully and not look completely pompous would be a real achievement. I was annoyed by the overuse of the word "Subjunctive", which I looked up on different sources only to find that it remained elusively undefined. The book still offers interesting food for thought though and I'm glad I read it. The case is made that we can never truly know a character/person without their personal narrative, but we can learn a lot about the character narrating, by the way they view their relationship with that other character. If you like to read/write straight forward stories this book will probably annoy you. If you like to delve deep into philosophical questions and the human psyche at large, this book is perfect for you. I, myself, am somewhere in between.

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zenpicker

A useful book for working writers

July 17, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A useful book for working writers, though I found it somewhat more elliptical than Charles Baxter's "The Art of Subtext" from the same series (of which he is the editor). A bit harder to distill craft guidance from this one, though I enjoyed her voice and perspective in many ways and would certainly recommend the book.

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Babs

A really thoughtful essay on intimacy in fiction though a ...

June 8, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A really thoughtful essay on intimacy in fiction though a bit dismissive of work not as "advanced" as her world view.

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Susan B.

E. Rodgers

January 3, 2016

Format: Paperback

This entry into the Art of ... series blows away other more shallow attempts at thinking about writing. The allegedly "two" bad reviews on this site are identical,word for word, from the same person, who ironically criticizes the editors of On Intimacy for missing a repeated paragraph. By doubling the count of that one comment, the site misrates the enjoyment history of the readers of this elegant look at imtimacy. This slim volume epitomizes the experience Rilke describes, of loving the space between us that allows us to enjoy the silhouette of each other against the sky.

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Great exploration of intimacy in fiction

July 31, 2013

Format: Paperback

Stacey d'Erasmo's book, The Art of Intimacy: The Space Between is a beautifully written and skillfully rendered meditation of what intimacy means in fiction. The study's subtitle is taken from a quote from Gertrude Stein, and reveals this book's focus: The text seeks to explore how we can explore that space between people, between reader and writer, and between book and reader, and how these borders blur and intersect. The entire "Art of" series from Graywolf is a lovely and lasting contribution to our thinking on writing, and d'Erasmo's contribution is a really important addition to this series.

15 people found this helpful

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C. Harper

Really Bad

July 22, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I, like I believe most people read books for two reasons. 1. for entertainment and 2. to learn something. This book did neither. It was also poorly edited. There was an entire paragraph repeated back to back, what is that? I am leery of choosing any more books from this series as well. What were you thinking???? And at that price; that is a ridiculous price for this book!!

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