Surrealism: Inside the Magnetic Fields

- This is a surrealist title, and will tie in with the 100th anniversary of surrealism (dated from André Breton and Philippe Soupault’s 1919 collaborative automatic text, Magnetic Fields).

- Unlike the academic texts likely to come out this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of surrealism, this book can be thought of as an "inside story" of the movement from someone deeply involved with its founding in the U.S. and beyond, who has gotten to know a wide variety of artists most associated with this movement in the latter half of the 20th century.

- Includes pieces/profiles/interviews with artists Penelope has known such as Leonora Carrington, Mimi Parent, Toyen, Ted Joans, Jayne Cortez, and Man Ray.

- This book chronicles a time, post-World War II and beyond, where the spirit of surrealism met the radical activism of student movements in the 60's. Penelope and her group in Chicago are the ones to come up with the phrase, "Make Love Not War."

- Leonora Carrington has been a hot commodity in publishing since the publication of her Complete Stories and the republication of Down Below. This book contains a memoir of the author’s personal relationship with Carrington and will have a cover image by Carrington.

- Also contains accounts of other significant women surrealists involved with the Paris Group like Mimi Parent and Toyen.

- Surrealist Women: An International Anthology (University of Texas Press, 1998) edited by Rosemont, remains a landmark and foundational text about the huge role women played in the development of surrealist art/writing in the 20th century. This book builds on that influential text but instead of an anthology of works, it is a collection of writings from Rosemont about these important artists.

- Penelope Rosemont is the influential co-founder of the Chicago Surrealist Group, which is the primary group of surrealist artist in the U.S.

© 2019 City Lights Publishers (Ebook): 9780872868267

Release date

Ebook: 29 October 2019