Cat Is Art Spelled Wrong

Book excerpt: “Fourteen writers take on perhaps the most important cultural issue of our time: figure out what we’re talking about when we’re talking about cat videos.” —New York magazine Are cat videos art? This essay collection, funded by a Kickstarter campaign, addresses not just our fascination with cat videos, but also how we decide what is good or bad art, or art at all; how taste develops, how that can change, and why we love or hate something. It’s about people and technology and just what it is about cats that makes them the internet’s cutest despots. This lively essay collection is intended as “an earnest attempt to uncover more about human nature—especially in today’s internet-driven world.” —Cool Hunting Contributors include: Sasha Archibald, Will Braden, Stephen Burt, Maria Bustillos, David Carr, Matthea Harvey, Alexis Madrigal, Joanne McNeil, Ander Monson, Kevin Nguyen, Elena Passarello, Jillian Steinhauer, Sarah Schultz, and Carl Wilson. “This clever collection is highly recommended for people who watch cat videos, which is apparently nearly everyone.” —Publishers Weekly “A delight.” —Chicago Tribune