Art Above Everything: One Woman’s Global Exploration of the Joys and Torments of a Creative Life

Beacon Press
June 10, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

All artists struggle. But women are especially pushed to give up their creative ambitions, from societal disapproval against “selfishness” to the pressure (or desire) for children and economic stability. Throughout her 20s and 30s, Stephanie Elizondo Griest wondered if constantly prioritizing her writing over everything else was leading her to fulfillment or regret. After a brutal break-up and narrowly surviving a health crisis in her early 40s, she turned to other women for their perspectives on that haunting question: is art enough? Art Above Everything documents her travels to 10 nations—from Cuba to Iceland; Rwanda to Qatar—where she meets with legendary painters, poets, actors, dancers, and musicians who talk intimately about their art, both what it gifts them and what it costs them. Collectively, these artists speak dozens of languages and worship a spectrum of faiths, but their compulsions to create despite financial hardship, misogyny, sexual violence, and family ostracization are wholly akin. Bold and inspiring, Art Above Everything illuminates the ways we can wield creativity as a vitalizing force.

FEATURED ARTISTS

* Musician Māmā Mihirangi, Aotearoa/New Zealand
* Belly dancers Tiffany “Hanan” Madera and Gretel Sanchez Llabre, Cuba
* Author Vilborg Davíðsdóttir, Iceland
* Odissi dancer Surupa Sen, India
* Author Sandra Cisneros, Mexico
* Visual artists Fatma Al Shebani and Hana Al Saadi, Qatar
* Visual artists Florica Prevenda and Marilena Preda Sânc, Romania
* Playwright Hope Azeda and actors Malaika Uwamahoro and Gakire Katese Odile, Rwanda
* Performance artists Sheryl Oring and Ayana Evans, USA
* Ballerina Wendy Whelan, USA

ADVANCE PRAISE

Stephanie Elizondo Griest has travelled the world to give us Art Above Everything, and what a gorgeous gift it is, both a how-to for making art and a soul-steeling affirmation of this most essential human endeavor. In chapter after chapter, portrait after portrait, we encounter women whose stories and achievements testify to the miracle-producing power of grit, discipline, devotion, and sheer endurance, all told by an indomitable writer who has herself persevered through more than her share of challenges. This dazzling, inspiring book continues to lift me up, and I expect it will do the same for you.

– Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, winner of National Book Critics’ Circle Award