I’m Not Your Muse: Uncovering the Overshadowed Brilliance of Women Artists & Visionaries

The decorative book design and colorful, folksy illustrations provide a light backdrop to the serious purpose of this volume—profiling important creative women whose contributions have been ignored or dismissed by a society more attentive to the contributions of men. Author Zimmer and illustrator Krasinski have collaborated once again (after Art Hiding in New York) in this accessible and inviting book. Its 26 vignettes illuminate the biographies of visual artists, dancers, musicians, and writers, living around the turn of the 20th century but thoroughly modern in creating a life unbound by societal norms. Readers learn about the model Suzanne Valadon, who was a painter in her own right, and the writer Fernande Olivier, whose memoirs describing the Parisian Belle Époque were suppressed from publication by her ex-lover Picasso. Ballerina Maria Tallchief worked closely as both partner and muse to Balanchine, going on to carve out her own creative path in dance. There are many more stories, each thoroughly researched.