Who is your favourite author/artist?
This is such a difficult question to answer because it’s so hard to choose just one! I have two favourite authors. The first is Patrick Rothfuss. If you haven’t read The Name of the Wind (the first of Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles) stop whatever you’re doing and read it now; it is the most beautifully written thing I’ve ever read. A word of warning, though, once you finish the series’ second instalment, The Wise Man’s Fear, your literature-loving heart will break to find out that the third has not yet been released… and there’s no way of knowing how long the wait will be. Trust me, though, it is worth it. My next favourite author is Sarah J. Maas, I almost always have one of her books on my nightstand.
My favourite artist is Robert Rauschenberg, but it pains me to say it because I genuinely believe Vincent Van Gogh was such a gift to the world. I love them both, really.
What are you reading or what art are you consuming now?
I recently finished reading Crescent City by Sarah J Maas and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy novels! Her Throne of Glass series is one of my favourites and will always have a special place on my bookshelf, but I think her work on Crescent City is some of her most inspired. The world she created is just beautifully crafted.
It’s a difficult time for people who like to view visual art in person, and I’ve been battling my gallery and museum withdrawal by listening to art podcasts! The two that I have been enjoying recently are ‘A Piece of Work’ with Abbi Jacobson and ‘ArtCurious’ with Jennifer Dasal. The former explores our understanding of modern and contemporary art through conversations with creators and curators, and the latter looks at the strange and unusual side of art history. Both are very entertaining and informative!
I’ve also been listening to the ‘Fake Doctors, Real Friends’ podcast and I can recommend it for fans of the TV show Scrubs. Its also enjoyable for those with a background in theatre or film and is highly entertaining! I listen to it while running errands and I keep getting funny looks when I burst out laughing in public.
A Creative Non-Fiction work you recommend?
I didn’t realize how much CNF I have actually read until I tried to answer this question! I never thought of it as my genre (and I honestly didn’t feel a strong connection to it until joining Epoch), but it turns out I’m a bigger fan than I realized. My highest recommendation is The Monster of Florence: A True Story by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi. If you enjoy true crime, mystery, or have any interest in Italian culture, you’ll find it fascinating. Great Feuds in History: Ten Struggles that Shaped the World by Colin Evans is also a great choice!
What does Truth in Ink mean to you?
To me, Truth in Ink means recording honest moments with courage. It means having the guts to turn the best and worst of our own humanity into a work of creativity and sharing it with the world. It means confronting all the gritty, messy chaos of our psyches and turning it into art.
Hillary Bryan is a published artist and illustrator based in Southern California whose work has been exhibited locally and internationally.
