Stephen Soucy will be on tour with Pump Up Your Book on December 5 – 16 with his art short story anthology from writers all over, Art from Art!
Art, films, literature, music and journalism are some of the fields that inspired writers to produce their own compelling tales for the new short story anthology, ART FROM ART. The stories were selected and edited by Stephen Soucy, founder of Modernist Press, which published the collection. after the success of his first short story anthology, WEST HOLLYWOOD STORIES, Soucy came up with the idea of soliciting writers to submit stories inspired by a different work of art, be it painting, sculpture, film, photography, literature, music, or a combination of works fused by the writers’ imaginations. The 38 stories that Soucy chose for ART FROM ART offer a sampling of some of today’s the finest writing. Soucy himself contributed a poignant story titled “Skating.” each story is accompanied by equally compelling images created by Marcolina Design, Inc. The result is a beautifully produced anthology that is sure to appeal to lovers of both fine literature and art.
“The content in ART FROM ART came via invites I sent to many authors whose work I admired,” Soucy says. “The art was a starting point, a jumping-off point for each writer to his or her particular story.”
Soucy explains that the concept of the book came to him after watching a documentary by Ken Burns on Andy Warhol. “Andy was heavily influenced by existing art and objects that he deemed art. I thought this idea could work well for writers as well,” Soucy says. “I asked the authors, ‘What art intrigues you? Can you build a story around this particular art that inspires you?’”
The artists, filmmakers, writers, composers, and visionaries cited by the authors in ART FROM ART comprise an artistic Who’s who that includes Fernand Leger, Picasso, Magritte, Van Gogh, Chagall, Giorgio de Chirico, Duncan Grant, Aleister Crowley, John Singer Sargent, Jorge Luis Borges, Shakespeare, Stravinsky, Hawthorne, Jean Luc Godard, and Alain Renais.
“I want readers to encounter quality fiction and the images that came about based on the stories,” Soucy says. “It’s a cool coupling. The stories are all unique and completely different, and I think readers can take a lot away from seeing what writers create via existing art. The book may also inspire other writers to practice this idea. I think the concept of writing stories inspired by art is a strong one, and I think this will intrigue readers. they will be interested in what the writers are presenting.”
Soucy started on the idea for ART FROM ART two years ago. “It was a long process,” he says, “working with the writers, editing their stories, working with Marcolina Design, Inc. on the images. This project also takes my imprint, Modernist Press, to the next level. This book is an example of the fine work we set out to do, and will continue to do going forward.”
You can visit his website at modernistpress.com.
If you would like to review this book, click here!
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