March 5, 2024

For The Lost Women in Art History

Xochitl Gonzalez on writing a book commemorating the stories of women in art history that are often forgotten.

For The Lost Women in Art History

Xochitl Gonzalez on writing a book commemorating the stories of women in art history that are often forgotten.

Early in the pandemic, when time and place seemed abstract concepts, a friend made a joke over text that triggered a memory. It was something about art and commerce, and I found myself suddenly transported back in time to the Art History lecture hall where I’d spent so much of my time in the ‘90s while an undergraduate at Brown University. I’d been obsessed with art history and packed my schedule with as many classes as I could, memorizing the impressionists and post-impressionists and abstract expressionists and minimalists. But, looking back, it stung fresh that in all that time, I’d hardly studied any women at all, and certainly, none with backgrounds like mine.

Embarrassing as it sounds, it wasn’t until my senior year that I realized people like me were making beautiful art at all. A friend gifted me a book on Caribbean art, and on those pages, I saw works I’d never encountered before in the classroom or a museum. That book included the work of Ana Mendieta, the Cuban-American artist whose life was tragically cut short in her prime. And, in the summer of 2020, I found myself thinking about her again, wondering how my time at Brown—and even my life—might have been different had I discovered her art legacy sooner.

I quickly sketched an outline for what would eventually become ANITA DE MONTE LAUGHS LAST weaving the life of Raquel, a college student navigating her first love and academic ambitions, with that of Anita, an artist whose life, like Mendieta’s, ends all too soon.

The book would, I thought back then, tackle the question of who, exactly, gets to have a legacy. But, when I sat down to write it, nearly two years later, the novel quickly became about so much more. Through the stories of these two women, I found myself considering questions about power—in institutions, yes, but also in the realm of love and relationships. Raquel and Anita’s stories forced me to consider questions of lineage and sisterhood and what it means to truly be remembered. And, of course, what it means to put art out into the world.

It might be surprising to hear then, after reading the above, that I didn’t set out to write such a personal novel. And yet, here we are: a little bit of me built into every woman I wrote into this book. I hope something about each of them resonates with you, and gets you thinking and feeling and also laughing, sometimes, too.

Time to turn on the Do Not Disturb and curl up with our September pick, To the Moon and Back 📖 🫖
Our bags for Shine Away 2025? Already packed with all the essentials. And the authors you’re seeing here? Just a glimpse of the lineup, along with our September Pick! ✨

#ShineAway, THE weekend for book lovers, is taking place on October 11 & 12 in Los Angeles! Grab your tickets at the link in bio.
This one's for our fantasy fans out there! ✨

This week on Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club podcast, the iconic @LBardugo joins @DanielleRobay to talk about the pressures of being a prodigy, world-building in her acclaimed series, and the discomfort needed for success.

Start listening at @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen. 🎧
We asked “what’s a thriller you can’t stop recommending” and Bookstagram did not disappoint. 💙 Which of these page-turners have you read? Let us know in the comments 👇
We’re thrilled to congratulate @clarelesliehall, author of Broken Country, on 1 million copies sold! We’re still not over this masterpiece 💙
Meet Tanis Parenteau, proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, and one of the captivating voices behind the To the Moon and Back audiobook. Dedicated to uplifting Native voices, Tanis’ work centers on telling contemporary and futuristic Native stories, like To the Moon and Back, a novel that explores Indigenous identity, alienation & belonging, and the importance of community.

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of our September pick at our link in bio. 🎧
Stories are more than words on page — they’re memory, tradition, and love carried across generations. 

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re honoring the voices that keep culture alive. In A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, a Cuban-American teen finds herself far from Miami, but never far from the heart of home:

“Our story, our people live on in these words. They grow between pages that are sized to fit between a reader’s hands. Small, yes, but somehow they hold us all.” 

Here’s to honoring the voices that remind us where we come from– and where we’re going.  Drop a 🇨🇺 if you've read A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow (or if it's on your TBR!)
Ali Kriegsman has a gift for making the art of reinvention feel accessible and empowering. ✨

On this week's episode of Bookmarked, the Reese's Book Club podcast, @AliKriegs chats with @DanielleRobay about her new psychological thriller 'The Raise', reinvention, and her bold, fun approach to self-publishing. 

Listen now at the @iHeartPodcast app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you love to listen. 🎧