I'd tell you how great this book is, but I don't know if you'd get it. Like, maybe you'd *understand* it, but on a fundamental level? No. Maybe show this to your girlfriend or your mom. She might be able to help with the pictures. It's just - you look way too handsome to comprehend the layers in here. What? That's a compliment! Where are you going?'...Bitingly funny, heartbreakingly relatable, Nicole's take on the painted weary gives new meaning to 'art criticism.' I never wanted it to end." You mixed two of the things that connect people the most: art and laughter! So, what joke from your book makes you laugh the most? On a serious note, it may offer some hints about gender representation in classical works of art, but first thing first let´s have some healthy laugh. Pamela Ribon, screenwriter and best-selling author of Moana, My Boyfriend is a Bear, and Note to Boys: And Other Things I Shouldn't Share in Public

In The Mansplainer, Barend Graat’s Company in a Garden (1661), which shows a corseted young woman being steered around a garden in front of a rabble of men, attempts to explain away catcalling: “You should be flattered they find you attractive enough to harass.” In The Patronizer, the top-hatted gentleman in Jean Henri de Coene’s Market Gossip (1827) tells the woman ferrying a sizeable basket on her head: “I can see you’re very busy, but I just had to tell you that you’d be so much prettier if you smiled.” I ask Tersigni if there’s a particular type of man she tries hardest to avoid. “They all kind of bleed together,” she says. “But the one I have certainly encountered the most is the Comedian. He not only explains your jokes to you, he also tells you to lighten up and get a sense of humour when you don’t laugh at his crappy jokes.”I know it’s hard for women to sit quietly. But close your eyes and listen. You might learn something.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. When men are told that women actually don't want to hear from them on every little thing, they tend to respond with horror, as if this is some new thing. But Tersigni's book offers a funny, but honest truth: we have never wanted to hear from you. We've been getting trolled for ages, and now we have more power to speak against it-and we have the likes of Tersigni to archive this frustration. I want to pass this book out like postcards whenever a man thinks he's the first to 'Well, actually' me."NT:Oh man, I love Awards for Good Boys! Shelby is so funny and clever. And her art and jokes are always spot-on! I think what surprised me the most, just because I hadn’t really considered it, has been the number of older women (in their 70s and 80s) who have reached out and said they are so thankful for the book and wish they’d had something like it when they were younger. That’s very meaningful to me. Hot off the presses and ready to depress us!

BASED ON THE SUCCESSFUL BRAND: Men to Avoid in Art and Life was featured in the New York Times, BBC Radio, and more, resonating with women globally. Whether you're a fan of Tersigni or missed out on the widely popular 2023 calendar, the Men to Avoid in Art and Life wall calendar for 2024 is the gut-wrenching laugh you need. If you think about it, that’s something that happens a lot, but also makes you wonder about the painter’s position, whether he meant the painting to be a denunciation or he just sat there watching what was happening, doing nothing to help. Through its unlikely pairing of classical artwork and meme-style captions, the Men to Avoid in Art and Life wall calendar highlights the universally female experience of having her area of expertise explained in great inaccurate detail by an overly confident mansplainer. Men to Avoid in Art and Life is a gem, hilariously providing all-too-familiar context for paintings of yore: Look at Vermeer's reply guys! Rembrandt's chronic mansplaining! It's laugh-out-loud funny, if you find women funny, of course, and will almost certainly upset men in both art and life, which is a beautiful gift in and of itself."

H: I think there’s a lot of power in books and media accounts like yours —and another of my favorites, Awards for Good Boys— that manage to wrap feminist theory and everyday lived experience into funny and relatable content. Can you identify aspects of the present moment that have made space for this kind of social critique to get the reception it deserves? Nicole Tersigni: I think so! Obviously, men explaining things we already know to us is not a new phenomenon. As the song goes, it’s a tale as old as time. (This is the second time I’ve mentioned Beauty and the Beastin an interview, I promise I watch other movies!) We’re just very tired and we have been for a long time.

Men to Avoid in Art and Life is laugh-out-loud funny and painfully accurate. I was equal parts enraged and entertained, which to me is truly the ideal reading experience." I commend all books that make people look at art, as I believe more people should do so in the first place. The title sounded intriguing, and I couldn't wait to get started.

Advance Praise

Men to Avoid in Art and Life pairs classical fine art with modern captions that epitomize the spirit of mansplaining. The content of the book is hit-or-miss, though there are some clever pairings made between the gorgeous artwork and comments that I've sure most women have heard from some men before. Hilarious, and will prove a lovely addition to the collection of art lovers and feminists alike. Also a great gift idea.