cover image MAKE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS REAL

MAKE YOUR CREATIVE DREAMS REAL

Sark, Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, . . Fireside, $23 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-7432-2921-0

For those of us who pass our days in a meaningless miasma of obligations and responsibility, SARK's upbeat 12-step prescription for "making creative dreams" come true may be just the ticket. Designing the book herself, SARK (short for Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, author of Succulent Wild Woman ) applies function to form with big and small font sizes, wild and wavy typesetting, drawings scattered liberally throughout, various exercises, Mad Lib–like blanks to fill in ("choose a micromovement and write it here_____") and three 16-page full-color inserts (not seen by PW). In case you doubt SARK's enthusiasm for her version of the creative life, she includes testimonials ranging from "John, Teacher" to "Val, Expressive Arts Therapist." Despite SARK's admirably unrestrained support for the creative life, it's difficult not to cock a cynical eye at some of her suggestions, such as "let your dream vehicle out to play!" And while she encourages us to "feel free to color or draw in this book," there isn't actually all that much room to do so. SARK addresses the negativity toward creativity that so many artists face from family, schools and bosses, but the repetition of the word "dream" never quite seems to slide over into how to use it to tend an actual artistic career. Agent, Debra Goldstein . (May 6)

Correction: Due to a publisher's error, the agent for Ian Kelly's Cooking for Kings (Forecasts, Apr. 12) was listed incorrectly. The agent is Short Books.