“If there is an internal theme to this collection of Tuten’s whimsical works, it would be a trio of sombreros, which appear floating around many of the paintings. Met by scenic backdrops, varied furniture, and abstracted faces, the sombreros find adventure wherever they go. This isn’t just a viewer’s interpretation, either—Tuten is expected to release an art book with Koenig Books Ltd. soon that features fanciful short stories alongside around 40 of his drawings and paintings. With each painting of the sombreros, Tuten specifies that there will be “a little story about how the sombreros left their masters—their heads, so to speak.”
— from Dan’s Papers, “Frederic Tuten: A Life Dedicated to Arts”
Frederic Tuten is an artist and writer based in New York. He is the author of the memoir My Young Life, five novels, and two short story collections. His short story “Self-Portrait with Circus” has been translated into Russian. He has had two solo shows, at Planthouse and Harper’s Gallery. He is currently represented by Harper’s.
This isn’t self-help. It’s not a parody either. It’s something stranger and smarter: a satirical, uncategorizable book about belief, leadership, algorithmic power, and the performance of divinity in modern life.
A new book of poems by Nina Kossman. “When the mythological and personal meet, something transforms for this reader…” -Ilya Kaminsky
From the myths of the ancient Near East to the secluded palaces of forgotten empires, Harems: Origins and Eunuchs uncovers how the idea of the harem first emerged — not only as a symbol of power and beauty, but also as a reflection of human desire, faith, and control. With the precision of a historian and the sensitivity of a storyteller, Sergii Mazurkevych traces the hidden world of eunuchs, devotion, and intrigue that shaped entire civilizations. A thoughtful and visually rich journey into one of history’s most secret institutions.
