Like Love: Essays and Conversations

By Maggie Nelson | Publisher: McClelland & Stewart

About the book

One of the Globe and Mail's most anticipated books of 2024

A career-spanning collection of inspiring, revelrous essays about art and artists.


Like Love is a momentous, raucous collection of essays drawn from twenty years of Maggie Nelson’s brilliant work. These profiles, reviews, remembrances, tributes, and critical essays, as well as several conversations with friends and idols, bring to life Nelson’s passion for dialogue and dissent. The range of subjects is wide—from Prince to Carolee Schneemann to Matthew Barney to Lhasa de Sela to Kara Walker—but certain themes recur: intergenerational exchange; love and friendship; feminist and queer issues, especially as they shift over time; subversion, transgression, and perversity; the roles of the critic and of language in relation to visual and performance arts; forces that feed or impede certain bodies and creators; and the fruits and follies of a life spent devoted to making.

Arranged chronologically, Like Love shows the writing, thinking, feeling, reading, looking, and conversing that occupied Nelson while writing iconic books such as Bluets and The Argonauts. As such, it is a portrait of a time, an anarchic party rich with wild guests, a window into Nelson’s own development, and a testament to the profound sustenance offered by art and artists.

Editions of Like Love: Essays and Conversations

Hardcover
ISBN 9780771068591

Read an Excerpt

One of the Globe and Mail's most anticipated books of 2024

A career-spanning collection of inspiring, revelrous essays about art and artists.


Like Love is a momentous, raucous collection of essays drawn from twenty years of Maggie Nelson’s brilliant work. These profiles, reviews, remembrances, tributes, and critical essays, as well as several conversations with friends and idols, bring to life Nelson’s passion for dialogue and dissent. The range of subjects is wide—from Prince to Carolee Schneemann to Matthew Barney to Lhasa de Sela to Kara Walker—but certain themes recur: intergenerational exchange; love and friendship; feminist and queer issues, especially as they shift over time; subversion, transgression, and perversity; the roles of the critic and of language in relation to visual and performance arts; forces that feed or impede certain bodies and creators; and the fruits and follies of a life spent devoted to making.

Arranged chronologically, Like Love shows the writing, thinking, feeling, reading, looking, and conversing that occupied Nelson while writing iconic books such as Bluets and The Argonauts. As such, it is a portrait of a time, an anarchic party rich with wild guests, a window into Nelson’s own development, and a testament to the profound sustenance offered by art and artists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Like Love: Essays and Conversations about?

One of the Globe and Mail's most anticipated books of 2024

A career-spanning collection of inspiring, revelrous essays about art and artists.


Like Love is a momentous, raucous collection of essays drawn from twenty years of Maggie Nelson’s brilliant work. These profiles, reviews, remembrances, tributes, and critical essays, as well as several conversations with friends and idols, bring to life Nelson’s passion for dialogue and dissent. The range of subjects is wide—from Prince to Carolee Schneemann to Matthew Barney to Lhasa de Sela to Kara Walker—but certain themes recur: intergenerational exchange; love and friendship; feminist and queer issues, especially as they shift over time; subversion, transgression, and perversity; the roles of the critic and of language in relation to visual and performance arts; forces that feed or impede certain bodies and creators; and the fruits and follies of a life spent devoted to making.

Arranged chronologically, Like Love shows the writing, thinking, feeling, reading, looking, and conversing that occupied Nelson while writing iconic books such as Bluets and The Argonauts. As such, it is a portrait of a time, an anarchic party rich with wild guests, a window into Nelson’s own development, and a testament to the profound sustenance offered by art and artists.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Like Love: Essays and Conversations?

Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general

Where can I read a sample of Like Love: Essays and Conversations?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780771068591

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Like Love: Essays and Conversations?

Maggie Nelson

Who is the Publisher of the book Like Love: Essays and Conversations?

McClelland & Stewart

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Like Love: Essays and Conversations is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780771068591)

Where can I buy Like Love: Essays and Conversations online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy Like Love: Essays and Conversations from below

Where can I buy Like Love: Essays and Conversations?