

The book got me thinking about what 100 years has meant to women in the arts, so I decided to write a letter to my predecessors addressing a few of today’s unique challenges (I see you, metaverse): Dear Foremothers,

Speaking of books, I’m almost done with a series of biographies by Judith Mackrell titled “Flappers: Six Women of a Dangerous Generation,” which limns the extraordinary lives of Josephine Baker, Tallulah Bankhead, Diana Cooper, Nancy Cunard, Zelda Fitzgerald and Tamara de Lempicka.

I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt filling in for the irreplaceable Carolina Miranda, who is currently embarked on a top-secret mission to save the world (but leave the paper bereft) on book leave. Welcome to a mid-February edition of the Essential Arts newsletter.
