Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma (Paperback) from the author of the New York Times bestseller Poser and the acclaimed memoir Love and Trouble. Monsters is described by The Times as “part memoir, part treatise, and all treat.” This bold and deeply personal work builds on Claire Dederer’s viral Paris Review essay, "What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?"
Can we still appreciate the works of figures like Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Miles Davis, Polanski, or Picasso? Should we? Dederer delves into the audience's complex relationship with artists ranging from Michael Jackson to Virginia Woolf, asking provocative questions: How do we reconcile our moral outrage with our love for their work? Is there a difference between male and female monstrosity? If an artist is also a mother, does that role inevitably disrupt her creativity?
More provocatively, Dederer questions whether being a “monster” is essential for artistic greatness. Does genius justify certain behaviors? Is art meant to confront the darker sides of human nature? And what are the consequences when an artist becomes consumed by that darkness?
Timely, thought-provoking, and brutally honest, Monsters is sure to ignite debate on whether—and how—we can separate the artist from their art.
Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma (Paperback)
Claire Dederer
