Dave Hickey (1938–2021) was the executive editor of Art in America and the author of 25 Women: Essays on Their Art,The Invisible Dragon: Essays on Beauty, and Air Guitar. He served as a contributing editor for the Village Voice and as the arts editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
"""Veteran art critic Hickey delivers another poignant and masterful collection of essays. In each selection, he critically and humorously contemplates cultural zeitgeists and the essence of good art in music, books, paintings, and architecture. His razor-sharp insight and witty prose make for an entertaining read. . . . While his prose is charming and at times aphoristic, Hickey is always serious when challenging the status quo or defending the cultural innovators who, in his view, have realized art’s potential as a medium for beauty, democracy, and unabashed self-expression."" * Publishers Weekly * ""He remains one of the finest American cultural critics, for he opens his own pleasures to appreciative scrutiny and collective relish."" * PopMatters *"