Meet Sebastian Smee, a Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic, who discusses his new book Paris in Ruins, its historical context, and the challenges of writing it. He also touches upon his previous book The Art of Rivalry, how to approach writing art criticism, and tips for aspiring writers. Sebastian now writes for The Washington Post, but got his start writing for The Sydney Morning Herald. He then went on to write for The Boston Globe, The Spectator, The Guardian, The Australian and more. 00:00 Introduction02:35 Nat Newman’s writing tip10:28 Win Endgame by Sarah Barrie12:44 Word of the week: Hypnagogic16:47 Interview with Sebastian Smee20:27 Diving into historical context20:59 Early career and education21:49 Breaking into art criticism23:55 Writing art reviews25:50 Journey to America27:34 The Art of Rivalry31:02 Crafting Paris in Ruins38:30 Challenges and reflections42:21 Advice for aspiring art critics47:57 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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