In Their Own Words

Rodin's sculpture "The Thinker" dominates our collective imagination as the purest representation of human inquiry--the lone, stoic thinker. But while the Western belief in individualism romanticizes this perception of the solitary creative process, the reality is that scientific and artistic forms emerge from the joint thinking, passionate conversations, emotional connections, and shared struggles common in meaningful relationships. In Creative Collaboration, Vera John-Steiner offers rare and fascinating glimpses into the dynamic alliances from which some of our most important scholarly ideas, scientific theories, and art forms are born. Witness the creative process unfolding in the relationships of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, Henry Miller and Anais Nin, Marie and Pierre Curie, Martha Graham and Erik Hawkins, and the productive partnerships of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, Albert Einstein and Marcel Grossman, Aaron Copland and Leonard Berstein, and Freeman Dyson and Richard Feynman among others. This is a unique cultural historical perspective on the creative process. By delving into these complex collaborations, John-Steiner illustrates that the mind--rather than thriving on solitude--is clearly dependent upon the reflection, renewal, and trust inherent in sustained human relationships.