Abstract Expressionism was the defining movement in American art during the years following World War II, making New York City the centre of the international art scene. But what the heck did it mean! The drips, the spills, the splashes, the blotches of colour, the wild spontaneous energy signifying what?

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM FOR BEGINNERS will not only help you understand, but, also, appreciate the art of some of the most iconic figures in modern art Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler and others. Explore their lives and artistic roots, the heady world of Greenwich Village in the 1940s and 1950s, the influence of jazz, the voices of critics and the enduring legacy of a uniquely inspired group of artists.

"Klin is an insightful interviewer and a marvelous writer. We were delighted to have the opportunity to publish the interview with Howard Zinn from "Something to Say.""--"The Bloomsbury Review"

The fusion of art and politics is axiomatic in much of the world. In America, their relationship is erratic. What is art in the service of social justice? Is an artist obligated to address the political? This book profiles, in words and photos, disparate creative forces who offer thoughts on their point of engagement with the political sphere. In the words of Pete Seeger, art "may save the world. Visual arts, dancing, acting arts, cooking arts. . . . Joe DiMaggio reaching for a fly ball--that was great dancing "

Profiles in "Something to Say" The late Howard ZinnPete SeegerYoko OnoScreenwriter Ron NyswanerPalestinian American standup comedian Maysoon ZayidPoet Quincy TroupeDominican American painter Freddy RodriguezFilmmaker Gini Reticker"Slowpoke" cartoonist Jen SorensenPerformance and installation artist Sheryl OringChildren's writer Jacqueline WoodsonChef and food activist Didi EmmonsChinese American poet and art critic John YauPunk-rock activist Franklin Stein of the band BlowbackKlezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals

Richard Klin's writing has appeared in the "Brooklyn Rail," "Forward," "The Bloomsbury Review," "Parabola," "The Rambler," and other media.

Lily Prince has exhibited in over fifty national and international exhibitions and has been awarded commissions by numerous hotels and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. She is an associate professor of art at William Paterson University. Her work has appeared in "The New York Times," "New York Magazine," "Newark Star-Ledger," "New American Paintings," "San Francisco Weekly," and other media.