Becoming Judy Chicago a biography of the artist Hardback - 2007

Media reviews

“The factual, insightful but also miraculous story of a woman who is not only an individual but an energy field; an artist who is not only a creator but an organizer of communal creation. Without downplaying the pain and censure that comes with enlarging history by refusing to fit into it, Levin shows us the joy and permanence of Chicago's inclusive art that opens eyes, minds and hearts.”
–Gloria Steinem

“A landmark work…. painstakingly detailed, psychologically sophisticated, and constitutes a fair-minded–and therefore explosive--guide to the Art World, including the relationship between wealth, patronage, and artistic success and viability.  Levin’s Chicago is a quintessentially American artist: Bold, ambitious, hungry for success, hugely innovative, both loved and envied (especially by other feminist women),  and mocked by male artists. She is also a profoundly Jewish-American artist. Levin’s rich anecdotes and careful research allowed me to visit with many treasured friends, some still living, some dead, and to revisit the Second Wave feminist art movement that I knew and still treasure.
–Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D, author of Women and Madness

“A vivid and compelling biography of Judy Chicago, as well as a colorful narrative of the artist’s struggles to create a feminist art and to transform the lives of woman artists in an art world hostile to their endeavors. It is a balanced and sympathetic account, richly documented, of the personal and professional obstacles Chicago had to deal with and overcome, as well as a superb critical study of Judy Chicago’s art.”
–Arthur C. Danto, Art Critic, The Nation

“Levin’s compelling biography illuminates the life of a feminist icon whose art reflected and shaped the tumultuous era of which she was a part. Gracefully written and prodigiously researched, this is a fascinating and important contribution.”
–Joyce Antler, author of The Journey Home: How Jewish Women Shaped Modern America

“A fascinating confluence of biography and cultural history inspired by personal aspiration, radical politics, avant-garde art, and the Women’s Movement. Rich in new research and insights, Levin’s work  is a valued and much overdue addition to the literature on Judy Chicago.”
--Susan Fisher Sterling, Ph.D., Deputy Director and Chief Curator, National Museum of Women in the Arts