{"product_id":"the-artstars","title":"The Artstars","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnticing, heart wrenching, and darkly funny, the interconnected stories in \u003cem\u003eThe Artstars\u003c\/em\u003e are set in creative communities—an art school, an illegal loft studio, a guerrilla street performance troupe—where teamwork and professional jealousy mix, and the artists grapple with economic realities and evolving expectations. A middle-aged poet, reeling from 9-11, fights homesickness, writer's block, and ladybugs at an artist's colony. A new empty-nester finds a creative outlet in her community garden, but gets tangled up in garden politics. As the characters pass through each other's stories, making messes and helping mop them up, some find inspiration in accidents; others are ready to quit art completely. Together, they stumble through the creative process, struggling to make art and find the spark of something new and original within themselves. In a world where the odds of becoming a star are nearly impossible, \u003cem\u003eThe Artstars\u003c\/em\u003e tells the stories of those who dare to dream. \u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Anne Elliott","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53615205810556,"sku":"9780253044365","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0251\/4980\/0541\/files\/9780253044365_c79bdd72-1532-4dad-80f6-c4f075f0c961.jpg?v=1726133079","url":"https:\/\/combined-academic.myshopify.com\/products\/the-artstars","provider":"Combined Academic Publishers - Mare Nostrum Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}