We are thrilled to announce the release of visual artist and author Anna Von Mertens new book – Attention Is Discovery: The Life and Legacy of Astronomer Henrietta Leavitt (MIT Press 2024), a recognition and celebration of the woman whose discovery founded modern cosmology and the power of attention in scientific observation, artistic creation, and the making of meaning. The book combines essays examining the revelations and relationships that emerged from Leavitt’s commitment to looking with a wealth of imagery: details of artworks the artist made in response to Leavitt’s legacy; examples of the glass plate photographs of the night sky Leavitt studied; and historic photos of the unique community of women, now known as the Harvard Computers, who worked at the Harvard College Observatory at the turn of the 20th century.

“Von Mertens chronicles the wondrous quest to understand the cosmos while also telling a fierce story of uncharted feminism. Bringing Leavitt’s unexamined work into focus in relation to the author’s own artistic practice makes for a riveting read.”
—Denise Markonish, Chief Curator, MASS MoCA

Find it at Amazon and also at The Toadstool Bookshop (signed copies available).

Excerpt published in The Boston Globe.

Review in Scientific American.

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You don’t have to be a boxing fan or cinema studies buff to enjoy this delve into how these two very different mediums, which developed concomitantly in the last years of the Victorian era, came to reflect America’s ever-shifting social and political mores throughout the twentieth century.

Some advance praise:

“David Curcio’s ‘Smash Hit’ is a first round knockout – filled with strong writing and deep insight. He dives into the tumultuous history of boxing films, revealing their power as a lens for examining contemporary America.”
–Bob Batchelor, author of Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties and Stan Lee: A Life

“David Curcio’s absorbing, fascinating book sent me down a rabbit hole of so many memorable movies….and ‘Smash Hit’ belongs in the company of the best of them. Curcio wears his erudition and knowledge lightly and captures the essence of boxing in film.”
–Donald McRae, The Guardian

“‘Smash Hit’ is not about the sport of boxing so much as a view of American society in the context of boxing culture, film history, and Hollywood gossip. An entertaining, informative, lively read.”
–Glen Sharp, author of Punching in the Shadows

Find it at Barnes & Noble or Amazon or wherever fine books are sold.

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