Quarantine Reading List | Danielle Schmitt
Quarantine Reading List | Danielle Schmitt
Danielle Schmitt, Yayoi Kusama from the “Inspirational Women” series. Ink on paper. Courtesy of the Artist.
Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Stories of Race, Culture and Identity
Winona Guo and Priya Vulchi
I was hired to work for the Census, and I picked this book as a way to learn more about how people view their race, culture, and identity in America. I liked this book because it challenged my assumptions about race and identity. The short interviews along with the photographs of each individual helped me relate to people from all walks of life.
Becoming
Michelle Obama
One of the art series I've been working on for the past couple of years is my Inspirational Women Series. I paint women who inspire me using Japanese ink and brushes. At my last show, someone suggested Michelle Obama as a future portrait. I knew she was our former FLOTUS and that she was really passionate about healthy school lunches, but I needed to know more. I was able to borrow this as an Audiobook, and hearing Michelle Obama share her story with her voice added extra meaning and connection for me. It is an incredible inside view of her life growing up on the South Side of Chicago, becoming a lawyer, meeting Barak, and their incredible journey in the White House.
Danielle Schmitt, Ruth Bader Ginsburg from the “Inspirational Women” series. Ink on paper. Courtesy of the Artist.
The Themis Files Trilogy: Sleeping Giants, Waking Gods, and Almost Human
Sylvain Neuvel
So when the going really gets tough, I always count on post-apocalyptic science fiction to put my blessings in perspective. This trilogy makes readers ask important questions — How much human life is worth sacrificing in the pursuit of scientific progress? Can humanity be trusted with weapons of ultimate destruction? And are we all alone in the universe?
Danielle Schmitt, Serena Williams from the “Inspirational Women” series. Ink on paper. Courtesy of the Artist.
Danielle Schmitt
Danielle Schmitt is an artist who uses a variety of wet media to explore portraiture, abstraction, and mystical and occult musings. She holds a BS in Art Education from Central Connecticut State University and a MA in Oral Traditions from The Graduate Institute in Bethany, Connecticut. Follow her on Instagram: @helixis7185
These recommendations are part of the Quarantine Reading List series. See the call for participation here.
