Art Lovers Book Club to close out second season

May 16—ALBANY — The scandalous early 20th-century love affair between Mamah Borthwick Cheney and architect Frank Lloyd Wright will be the topic of discussion Tuesday when the AMA Art Lovers Book Club discusses the Nancy Horan novel "Loving Frank."

The club meets at 6 p.m. in the Willson Auditorium at the Albany Museum of Art, and the session will be facilitated by AMA staff member Cheryl Hendricks. There is no cost to attend, but participants are asked to RSVP to annie.vanoteghem@albanymuseum.com or (229) 439-8400 by noon on Tuesday so that adequate seating can be provided.

Published in 2007, Horan's first novel explores the affair between Borthwick and Wright, both of whom were married with children, and the public shame they experienced for leaving their respective families behind.

Horan's research into what little is known about Borthwick, as well as the social mores of the early 20th-century United States and Europe, results in an imagining of events told from Borthwick's perspective. In doing so, Horan adds dimension to the couple, analyzing the emotional torments Borthwick experiences as an intellectual, wife, mother, and member of society, and giving Wright human aspects beyond his talent and eccentricities.

"This book is a beautiful end to our second season of Art Lovers Book Club," Annie Vanoteghem, director of education and public programming for the AMA, said. "'Loving Frank' will take you on an emotional trip with a look inside the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. Everyone is welcome to join us for a glass of wine and a lovely evening discussing 'Loving Frank.'"

Tuesday's meeting is the final session of the AMA Art Lovers Book Club's second season. The book club meets every other month at 6 p.m. on third Tuesdays. There is no formal membership, and participants may attend as many or as few meetings as they like.

"I am so thrilled with the dedication and conversation our Art Lovers Book Club brings to each meeting, and I am excited to see it grow as we jump into our third season," Vanoteghem said.

The club will open its third season on July 20, when club members will discuss "Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe," by Dawn Tripp.

Other books scheduled for the third series of club meetings are:

—Sept 21: "The Agony and the Ecstasy," a biographical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti by Irving Stone;

—Nov 16: "The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall," a history by Christopher Hibbert;

—Jan 18, 2022: "Just Kids," a memoir by Patti Smith;

—March 15, 2022: "We Flew over the Bridge: The Memoirs of Faith Ringgold," by Faith Ringgold;

—May 17, 2022: "A Piece of the World," a novel by Christina Baker Kline.