Michael Graves

September 1, 2017

This book pays tribute to Michael Graves (1934-2015) as one of the prime movers and makers of POMO, or Postmodernism in the 1980s, which pulled architectural design out of the hands of engineers and into the hearts of historians and artists. Graves was born in Indianapolis, one of the stockyard capitals of the Midwest, where his father worked as a trader in the deconstruction of animals. Graves called the city "Indian-no place." He taught at Princeton University's School of Architecture from 1962 to 2000, fighting for public architecture all over the country in the form of libraries, town halls, hotels, and office towers. He died in 2015 of heart failure following 12 years of wheelchair-bound life owing to a painful spinal infection in 2002. This book is less academic and objective than anecdotal and informative--stemming from dozens of recorded interviews with Graves and everyone who knew him well. VERDICT This book has real gravity, yet it sparkles with light, so it benefits not just accomplished professionals but anyone who admires design.--Peter S. Kaufman, Boston Architectural Ctr., MA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017
Volner presents more than a biography of postmodern architect Graves (19342015). The book is also a history of the style Graves popularized. Detailing Graves' personal and professional story alongside a broader one of professional infighting and conceptual debates, Volner has written an accessible book about a challenging period in the history of architecture. Though Graves saddled his designs with historical references and playful narratives, his buildings often met with a confused and disappointed public. With a fine eye and clear prose, Volner delivers straightforward explanations of such award-winning Graves designs as the Portland Municipal Services Building in Oregon and the Humana office building in Louisville, Kentucky. Author and subject were friends, and the relationship colors Volner's account of episodes private (Graves' divorces) and professional (Graves' failed commission to redesign the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York). Ultimately, this connection allows Volner to tell a touching and human story of how a midwesterner shaped contemporary architecture.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)