Basquiat

“Compulsively readable… . Hoban’s depiction of the glitzy 1980s art world is sharply etched and deadly accurate.” — Patricia Bosworth, New York Times Book Review “A smart, crackling chronicle of fast game, the ’80s art market, [and] the attraction of destruction.” — The Village Voice “Hoban is the perfect writer for the life of an ’80s art star … she is smart and curious, an engaged and cultural critic steeped in the art scene of the 1980s, well matched with her subject.” — Philadelphia Inquirer“An insightful and devastating portrait of the 1980s art world, its movers and shakers, as well as Basquiat’s manipulators, hangers-on, and a precious few genuine friends.” — Chuck Close“Phoebe Hoban has produced an unflinchingly honest portrayal of the fast life, high times, and heady work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, perhaps the most compelling and tragic personality in American art since Jackson Pollock. She is an exceptionally skillful, subtle, and perceptive critic, reporter, and writer.” — Bob Colacello“This exceptionally moving biography of painter Jean-Michel Basquiat is exquisite, haunting, and beautifully written.” — Publishers Weekly 

Phoebe Hoban has written about culture and the arts for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, ARTnews, and The New York Observer, among others. She is the author of three artist biographies: Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art, a national bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; Alice Neel: The Art of Not Sitting Pretty, named a best book of the year by New York Magazine, The Village Voice, and Booklist; and Lucian Freud: Eyes Wide Open. She lives in New York City.