How to Write about Contemporary Art

Finally. A book that teaches you how to write and think clearly about art. I can imagine this book inspiriting future generations to write legibly and intelligently art criticism, a field that's become too hermetic and convoluted for its own good. Revolutionary, radical and long overdue. Bravo!--Kenneth Goldsmith, poet and founder, UbuWeb
Fantastic... a straight-forward must-read for every writer, reader, artist and designer. Williams holds your hand, explaining why you need to do it, what you need to do, and how to do it.
Thrillingly clear ... a beautifully formed guide to writing [...] should be required reading across every creative discipline. Essential!
A thoroughly sensible and accessible guide to writing that could almost be applied to any subject.
Illuminates contemporary art writing, providing insights into what we write about when we write about art....[Williams] reenvisions what it means to be a professional art writer and outlines the methods, ethics and even the financing that could see the role of the writer codified and professionalized in a new and important way in the art world of tomorrow.
In outlining exactly how an auction catalogue differs from a museum's wall label and a magazine review, down to the vocabulary and tone each should accommodate, Williams gives insight to the inner workings of very different industries: academia, auction houses and mainstream and professional press. Her systematic analysis of the current state of art writing is a first [and her] methodology is flawless.
Artforum correspondent Williams applies lessons in graceful prose to the field of art writing...[She] excels when looking at excerpts from accomplished critics, including Rosalind Krauss and Walter Benjamin, and when giving nuts-and-bolts advice for crafting specific genres of art-world documents (catalogue essays, short news articles, academic essays, and the like) [This] how-to provides enough art-specific insights to cut through the garble so common in the field.
Artforum correspondent Williams applies lessons in graceful prose to the field of art writing...[She] excels when looking at excerpts from accomplished critics, including Rosalind Krauss and Walter Benjamin, and when giving nuts-and-bolts advice for crafting specific genres of art-world documents (catalogue essays, short news articles, academic essays, and the like) [This] how-to provides enough art-specific insights to cut through the garble so common in the field.