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Spark: How Creativity Works Audiobook
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(2.98) - 108 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
How did Richard Ford's cat influence his work as a novelist? HOW is Chuck Close's portraiture driven by his inability to remember faces? What pivotal moment helped Rosanne Cash understand the healing power of the stage?
Creativity is an elusive subject. We enjoy its fruits—movies, novels, paintings, songs—but rarely are we privy to what happens in the creative process. In Spark, Julie Burstein traces the roots of some of the twenty-first century's most influential and creative thinkers, including Joyce Carol Oates, Yo-Yo Ma, David Milch, Isabel Allende, and Joshua Redman. Burstein pulls back the curtain to reveal the sources of these artists' inspiration and the processes that bring their work into being.
""These artists may not change lead into gold,"" Burstein writes, ""but they lift materials from their familiar contexts, combining, reshaping, transforming them into works of art that change the way we see the world."" Spark is an invaluable resource for the aspiring writer and artist, but the need for creativity extends well beyond the world of paintbrushes and typewriters. Creativity is integral to business, parenting, education, science, and, perhaps most poignantly, our personal relationships. Rarely do books on creativity illuminate and inspire; this marvelous volume will help you find a spark of your own.
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"Loved reading this. It made me think about the excitement and joy the kids I work with share with me each day"
— Jenny (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This is a book about joy, drive, and art, work that we’re all capable of if we’ll only commit.”
— Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling author of Linchpin -
“Burstein offers enlightening answers from the culture’s heavy hitters, as well as the process by which they stoked these embers into a roaring fire, and how you, yes, you, might too.”
— Vanity Fair -
“Spark is a beautiful book, enjoyable and filled with life…You will find yourself contemplating the origin of the little lights, the sparks, which show themselves only when someone special looks within.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer -
“Through enlightening conversations, these creative individuals demonstrate how they lift raw materials out of familiar contexts and create art that changes how we perceive the world.”
— Publishers Weekly
Spark Listener Reviews
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" I was excited to hear someone had written a book of this kind. While it has some interesting points in the narrative, Burstein's presentation is like a photograph (the interesting stories) with her finger in front of the lens. "
— Sandra, 10/30/2013 -
" I thought this was something else, more like a psychology book on how humans behave creatively. But it is interesting as it is, though a little superficial. I think it works more as an anthology of interesting cases on her radio show. "
— Simone, 1/4/2013 -
" Personal stories from the NPR series - good if you missed the shows. "
— Sal, 12/31/2012 -
" Interesting stories and perspectives on creativity in its various guises from PRI Studio 360's fascinating guests. Now I need to listen to the podcasts! "
— Erika, 12/19/2012 -
" Meh. I was intrigued by the bold title "How Creativity works" but it's more like the the verb to work. A bunch of short essays about guests on Studio 360 and how they do things. sort of interesting. "
— Tim, 12/1/2012 -
" I learned that Yo-Yo Ma's cello's name is Petunia :) "
— Chanté, 10/30/2012 -
" Some parts of this I loved, some less so. I'm not as interested in movie and music sparks as I am lit and art. "
— KJ, 10/26/2012 -
" If you like the radio program @Studio360show, then you will like the #spark book. "
— Peter, 3/14/2012 -
" Sorry to say this worked a lot better on radio. "
— Lori, 11/22/2011 -
" This book is broken up into a series of short stories, so I've been reading them here and there between other material. I enjoy learning about the creative process, and for the most part it's well-written, but so far I enjoyed the intro most of all. "
— Karri, 10/27/2011 -
" A wee bit superficial. I was disappointed, having very much looked forward to adding a new "creativity arrow" to my stash. "
— Jean, 9/28/2011 -
" I think I would have enjoyed this book more if they had included pictures of the artists work. I don't know if I'll have the gumption to google them, but perhaps I will try to find Studio 360 on NPR. "
— Jessica, 4/8/2011 -
" A wee bit superficial. I was disappointed, having very much looked forward to adding a new "creativity arrow" to my stash. "
— Jean, 3/27/2011 -
" Interesting stories and perspectives on creativity in its various guises from PRI Studio 360's fascinating guests. Now I need to listen to the podcasts! "
— Erika, 3/18/2011 -
" This book is broken up into a series of short stories, so I've been reading them here and there between other material. I enjoy learning about the creative process, and for the most part it's well-written, but so far I enjoyed the intro most of all. "
— Karri, 3/6/2011 -
" If you like the radio program @Studio360show, then you will like the #spark book. "
— Peter, 3/1/2011 -
" Sorry to say this worked a lot better on radio. "
— Lori, 2/19/2011 -
" Some parts of this I loved, some less so. I'm not as interested in movie and music sparks as I am lit and art. "
— KJ, 1/26/2011
About the Authors
Julie Burstein is a Peabody Award–winning radio producer and TED speaker. She designed Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen for Public Radio International, and led the creative team at WNYC for many years. She’s the host of Pursuit of Spark, conversations about creative approaches to the possibilities, challenges, and pleasures of everyday life.
Kurt Andersen is the New York Times bestselling author of Fantasyland, Evil Geniuses, and, with Alec Baldwin,You Can’t Spell America without Me, as well as several novels and other works. He has also written for film, television, and the stage and contributes regularly to the New York Times. He is host and co-creator of Studio 360, the Peabody Award-winning cultural magazine show. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, where he was an editor of the Lampoon. In 2003, New York named him one of the 100 People Who Changed New York, and Forbes named him one of The 25 Most Influential Liberals in the US Media.