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Errand into the Maze: The Life and Works of Martha Graham
From the legendary dance critic Deborah Jowitt, Errand into the Maze is the definitive biography of the visionary dancer and choreographer Martha Graham.
Between 1926 and 1991, the year of her death, Martha Graham choreographed close to one hundred masterpieces. She changed how dancers were perceived onstage, devised new ways of moving, and pioneered a revolutionary dance technique. Along the way, Graham engaged with the debates, ideas, and events of the twentieth century―creating dances of social comment and human experiences. Graham, the first dancer and choreographer to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and named Time ’s “Dancer of the Century,� was a visionary artistic force. Hers was the iconic face of what came to be called modern dance.
In Errand into the Maze , the legendary dance critic Deborah Jowitt gives us the definitive portrait of this great American artist. Beginning with Graham’s childhood and early work in theatrical productions, and touching on her offstage adventures, this elegant, empathetic biography places Graham’s works and creations at the heart of her story. Her dances, brimming with emotional intensity, are intimately linked with their creator, and she was foregrounded in many; she was the heroine in almost all the dances she choreographed, portraying figures like Jocasta, Clytemnestra, and Judith. In this volume, Graham is center stage once more, and Jowitt casts a bright and brilliant spotlight on her life and work.
Between 1926 and 1991, the year of her death, Martha Graham choreographed close to one hundred masterpieces. She changed how dancers were perceived onstage, devised new ways of moving, and pioneered a revolutionary dance technique. Along the way, Graham engaged with the debates, ideas, and events of the twentieth century―creating dances of social comment and human experiences. Graham, the first dancer and choreographer to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and named Time ’s “Dancer of the Century,� was a visionary artistic force. Hers was the iconic face of what came to be called modern dance.
In Errand into the Maze , the legendary dance critic Deborah Jowitt gives us the definitive portrait of this great American artist. Beginning with Graham’s childhood and early work in theatrical productions, and touching on her offstage adventures, this elegant, empathetic biography places Graham’s works and creations at the heart of her story. Her dances, brimming with emotional intensity, are intimately linked with their creator, and she was foregrounded in many; she was the heroine in almost all the dances she choreographed, portraying figures like Jocasta, Clytemnestra, and Judith. In this volume, Graham is center stage once more, and Jowitt casts a bright and brilliant spotlight on her life and work.
480 pages, Hardcover
Published January 30, 2024
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February 4, 2024A doubtless unfair but probably inevitable litmus test for any biography of pioneering choreographer Martha Graham is fairly simple: can the biographer make Graham's world very specific art form comprehensible and interesting to the uninitiated? When it comes to modern dance, I'm about as uninitiated as it's possible to be, and thanks to the writing skills of Deborah Jowitt, I not only found this biography fascinating but I felt warmly, intelligently instructed in what exactly made Graham a great figure in the history of dance. My full review is here:
November 27, 2022
I have been reading articles by Deborah Jowitt all of my dancing life, all 52 years of it! I was so excited to see this book coming out next year.. ERRAND INTO THE MAZE, The Life and Works of Martha Graham..... on Netgalley. It was everything I thought it would be and better. A look at the choreographic life of Martha Graham, I got to revisit her studio and the many teachers who taught me the Graham Technique in Modern Dance. I knew many of the very intense stories Ms. Jowitt mentions in the book, and I never tire of hearing them! Martha Graham was truly an icon…a genius! And Jowitt’s indelible descriptions of the way she created her work leaves me honestly, in awe. This is a remarkable book which leaves an indelible impression of the artist and her life! Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publishing. I can't wait to share the information and this book with my Dance History students!!
September 30, 2023
This is quite a scholarly analysis of Martha Graham's biography and choreography. It is meticulously researched, but may be a little over the heads of readers who are not already versed in dance theory and practice. It will definitely be a useful reference for academics.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
March 1, 2024
In "Errand into the Maze: The Life and Works of Martha Graham," Deborah Jowitt delivers an extensive look at Martha Graham's life and career. Jowitt goes into exhaustive detail about Graham's growth and influence in the dance world. She goes through each of Graham's creative dance moments, and she explains Graham's work ethic, thought process, and how the dance fits into the era in which the dance takes place. She places Graham within the specific moment by quoting from contemporaneous reviews that speak of Graham's talent. By doing so, we not only understand Graham as a major figure in the dance world, but we see how her dances were often shaped by world events (the depression and WWII for example). Even if a reader is not a dance person per se, they will still understand Graham's importance.
Jowitt gives us a complicated Graham who's prickly, difficult, and
determined; this is a woman who worked into her nineties. Jowitt does not go the hagiographic route; she allows for the complications and the hypocrisies in Graham's character to shine through. This makes Graham a more relatable and appealing subject. This is a must have book for lovers of dance, social/art commentary, and first rate biographies.
Jowitt gives us a complicated Graham who's prickly, difficult, and
determined; this is a woman who worked into her nineties. Jowitt does not go the hagiographic route; she allows for the complications and the hypocrisies in Graham's character to shine through. This makes Graham a more relatable and appealing subject. This is a must have book for lovers of dance, social/art commentary, and first rate biographies.
June 13, 2024
*full disclosure: not exactly finished, but close
Oh, Graham biographies. How many more do we need? I'm partial to no more, please. (Academic journal articles and graduate work, sure, but published books no.) I want to read biographies about more diverse and "forgotten" dancer-choreographers. I want to hear the stories of BIPOC people in the dance world. I want to know their journey in dance.
As a dancer researcher-student-former educator, I have enough Martha in my mind to last me three lifetimes. However, as far as Graham biographies go, this is the ultimate academic/literary nonfiction source on her WORK, not necessarily her life.
Jowitt was one of my favorite dance writers in undergrad; I was mildly obsessed with between 2012 to 2014, so I get her writing. She spends a lot of time on the details, luxuriating on the historical odds and ends of a dancer's life rather than the sentimental and emotional parts.
Don't go into this book wanting to know the emotional landscape of Graham's career choices or even the legacy of her famed love affairs. If you are new to dance history or even an amateur follower of Graham, this will give so much context to the solo Graham career as well as her company repertory--which is important to category and detail, as Jowitt has expertly done so here. This is also a great resource for students to weed through and use as a secondary source.
I love dance history but still I found myself rushing through all the details, knowing that Graham's emotionally rich, complex autobiography screams out at me from my bookshelf with my many notes and bookmarks left in it from my undergrad; this book is empty and tbh probably will be donated to my alma mater...
Anyway, here's a small but not complete list of similiar early to mid-century modern and ballet dance biographies, including more Graham shenanigans--excluding Mr. B: , , , , , , , .
Oh, Graham biographies. How many more do we need? I'm partial to no more, please. (Academic journal articles and graduate work, sure, but published books no.) I want to read biographies about more diverse and "forgotten" dancer-choreographers. I want to hear the stories of BIPOC people in the dance world. I want to know their journey in dance.
As a dancer researcher-student-former educator, I have enough Martha in my mind to last me three lifetimes. However, as far as Graham biographies go, this is the ultimate academic/literary nonfiction source on her WORK, not necessarily her life.
Jowitt was one of my favorite dance writers in undergrad; I was mildly obsessed with between 2012 to 2014, so I get her writing. She spends a lot of time on the details, luxuriating on the historical odds and ends of a dancer's life rather than the sentimental and emotional parts.
Don't go into this book wanting to know the emotional landscape of Graham's career choices or even the legacy of her famed love affairs. If you are new to dance history or even an amateur follower of Graham, this will give so much context to the solo Graham career as well as her company repertory--which is important to category and detail, as Jowitt has expertly done so here. This is also a great resource for students to weed through and use as a secondary source.
I love dance history but still I found myself rushing through all the details, knowing that Graham's emotionally rich, complex autobiography screams out at me from my bookshelf with my many notes and bookmarks left in it from my undergrad; this book is empty and tbh probably will be donated to my alma mater...
Anyway, here's a small but not complete list of similiar early to mid-century modern and ballet dance biographies, including more Graham shenanigans--excluding Mr. B: , , , , , , , .
February 14, 2023
When I started to read this book, I knew very little about modern dance. I have recently grown interested in the world of dance and I thought a book about one of the most famous choreographers would be a good start. I’ll be honest, I had never heard of Martha Graham before starting this book but this book guided me through her life with amazing details. The book is heavily focused on the parts of Martha Graham’s life when she choreographs her works. At first, I felt as though the author focused greatly on these aspects of her life, and provided few details about her personal life. However, as I read this book, I began to see how her personal life can be seen through the dances she creates. Not to mention that a majority Martha Graham’s life was spent on stage and teaching others her dance techniques. I also enjoyed how we got to see Martha’s dances connected to ancient figures across time. This book gives readers a glimpse of modern forms of dancing combined with ancient works. It allows readers to see the influence these ancient stories had on people throughout history and how their contents can be retold in so many unique ways.
Since Martha lived such a long and interesting life, her works have touched many people over the years. The author included personal stories from those who met Martha Graham and worked alongside her. This book is also accessible for those who are not familiar with the world of dance or ancient myths. The author provides contexts surrounding inspirations of Martha’s dances. As someone who is always interested in learning about new subjects, I was happy when this book provided some of Martha Graham’s sources that she used to create some of her most famous dances. I am very interested to study these stories and myths that inspired these beautiful pieces of dance.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Since Martha lived such a long and interesting life, her works have touched many people over the years. The author included personal stories from those who met Martha Graham and worked alongside her. This book is also accessible for those who are not familiar with the world of dance or ancient myths. The author provides contexts surrounding inspirations of Martha’s dances. As someone who is always interested in learning about new subjects, I was happy when this book provided some of Martha Graham’s sources that she used to create some of her most famous dances. I am very interested to study these stories and myths that inspired these beautiful pieces of dance.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2024
I learned a lot about Martha's Graham. CHOR ESR AP. H. E!R. And her ideas how she corporated this into her dancing. She grew up in Pittsburgh, but her family was sick. So they moved to santa barbara. There she the third three sisters had a very interesting life. Her father took her to recital. One time based on d e n I s h o r a school. She was very fascinated by this because they took oriental and Indian type dancing and did it through a modern way of moveman.. This was like in the nineteen tens. She went to school through this. When she graduated from high school in l a in los angeles. She also taught dance as well. And but eventually she left this group and started her own ideas and thoughts. They also talked about the Ballet from russia. This was in the twenties when things were starting to change. Martha did a lot of pioneering ideas. She also taught at the cornish school here in seattle. She introduced modern forms. She started the program at BENNIN GTO N college in Vermont. For the summer sessions and she did a lot of news ideas there and it was very interesting to learn how much you did there. I like how she also did music as well to match her types of dancing. It was really hard for them because they had to get grants. They had very little money but they produced some amazing dancing. She was very revolutionary and thinking how the body would move. She also didn't believe in marriage. She did get married at one point and then divorced. She was just a very happy person when she was dancing. She also made her own clothes too which was pretty interesting. It's interesting how they could look at dancing from the Orient and India and make it modern. The person who wrote this book is amazing too because she understands dance. And she worked with the village voice going to different programs.
February 25, 2023
I would like to thank Farrar, Straus and Giroux , as well as Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. This is a well written and well researched book about Martha Graham and her life in dance. It starts with her early life and continues through her training and her life a a dancer and as a choreographer. It goes into much detail about her dances and , the music used , the people involved and the costumes used. I fear that I am not enough of a dance enthusiast to fully appreciate this book. I was hoping to read more of her personal life, and her feelings. It is well written, and full of detail. It is just not my style. I never felt that I got a chance to know the person behind the dance.
March 20, 2023
I grew up dancing so of course this caught me eye. I could not finish this book unfortunately. This is a very academic review of her work, therefore I wouldn’t say it had elements that were exciting or that drew me in. If you work in the dance world, I think this would be a great resource of history on the modernization of dance. Thank you Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2023
Thank you NetGalley & publisher for this eARC.
Wow first of all, when I read this book, it made me realize that I only know so little about modern dance. This is a very well researched book on Martha Graham and mostly heavy on her 52 years work as an iconic dancer. I never knew about her until I read this book and made me curious to search for her more.
Definitely inspiring.
Wow first of all, when I read this book, it made me realize that I only know so little about modern dance. This is a very well researched book on Martha Graham and mostly heavy on her 52 years work as an iconic dancer. I never knew about her until I read this book and made me curious to search for her more.
Definitely inspiring.
March 18, 2024
This book is not meant for the dance novice or appreciative audience. It’s detailed and focuses even more on Grahams work as on her life, albeit in the eyes of the choreographer there was no life without dance. Her creativity and stamina lasted nearly 97 years. She changed dance and created iconic performances while nurturing iconic reform
February 24, 2024
I actually skim read this. I wasn’t so much interested in the names, dates, places as I was in the methods she used to create her dances. How she created them, why, what collaborations, what inspirations, what obstacles.
September 12, 2023
As a dancer, this book about the legendary Martha Graham is a fascinating read! Well researched and engaging, this book is a great look at one of the legends of dance.
June 22, 2024
Extensive.
January 28, 2025
The brilliant Deborah Jowitt on the brilliant Martha Graham.
August 2, 2023
This book thoroughly covers the life and accomplishments of a very interesting and impressive woman. It is obvious from the beginning that this book has been well researched, but be prepared for it to read more like an academic thesis. For me it lacked the voice and engagement I typically enjoy in biographies. If you prefer the more academic style of biographies, this one might be for you.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A huge thanks to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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