Book Picks from CLP – Woods Run Artist in Residence – Taylor Raye

Community Contributor
Community Contributor

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) Artist in Residence (AIR) Series is for creatives to explore the rich book collections and/or archives of CLP and share their creative ingenuity and research with CLP patrons and the greater Pittsburgh community. These picks were shared by CLP – Woods Run’s AIR, Taylor Raye. “Raye’s practice is informed by her background in community education and her belief in storytelling as a vital tool for connection. She leads workshops and programs that combine artmaking with nature observation, recycled materials, and art history.” 

From the inspiring poetry of Joy Harjo to the local history of each branch library, artist-in-residence will be able to dive into CLP archives and collections to further their practice, subjects of interests, and engage the community through their creativity. The selections below serve as some of the inspiration for Taylor Raye’s work. In addition to these pick’s Taylor suggests Vitamin P2: New Perspectives in Painting by Barry Schwabsky and Joyce Wieland: Artist on Fire by Jane Lind. 

Mar 6, 2026

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In the Catalog

Braiding Sweetgrass

Braiding Sweetgrass

Robin Wall Kimmerer

An inspired weaving of indigenous knowledge, plant science, and personal narrative from a distinguished professor of science and a Native American whose previous book, Gathering Moss, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing.

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

How to Be An Artist

How to Be An Artist

Jerry Saltz

Irreverent and inspiring advice for awakening your creative potential, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic. This beautiful and useful small-format hardcover-teeming with full-color art, sidebars, and contributions from art-world legends and everyday creatives. How to Be an Artist is a book for anyone who’s ever yearned to make the arts a part of their life.

From the Catalog

From Libby

The Poetics of Space

The Poetics of Space

Gaston Bachelard

Since its initial publication in 1958, The Poetics of Space has been a muse to philosophers, architects, writers, psychologists, critics, and readers alike.

From the Catalog

From Libby

Remarkably Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright Creatures

A Novel

Shelby Van Pelt

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

The Spell of the Sensuous

The Spell of the Sensuous

Perception and Language in A More-than-human World

David Abram

Animal tracks, word magic, the speech of stones, the power of letters, and the taste of the wind all figure prominently in this intellectual tour de force that returns us to our senses and to the sensuous terrain that sustains us. This is a major work of ecological philosophy that startles the senses out of habitual ways of perception.

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

Untamed

Untamed

The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island

Will Harlan

What happens when a dirt-poor naturalist with only a high school diploma becomes an outspoken advocate on a celebrated but divisive island? Untamed is the story of an American original standing her ground and fighting for what she believes in, no matter the cost.

From the Catalog

From Hoopla

Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak

Max, a naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.

From the Catalog

From Libby

From Hoopla

Your Brain on Art

Your Brain on Art

How the Arts Transform Us

Susan Magsamen

A life-altering journey through the science of neuroaesthetics, which offers proof for how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts–and how this knowledge can improve our health, enable us to flourish, and build stronger communities.

From the Catalog

From Libby