'Steven D. Lavine — Failure is What It's All About', a book about CalArts and its legendary 29-year president Dr. Steven D. Lavine is now available in the U.S.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, November 17, 2020 -- Steven D. Lavine — Failure is What It's All About, a book centered around the California Institute of the Arts and its legendary president Dr. Steven D. Lavine, written by Jörn Jacob Rohwer is now available in the U.S. Originally published in Germany on September 21, 2020, American readers can now buy the book's hardcover edition.

In Steven D. Lavine — Failure is What It's All About, German author Jörn Jacob Rohwer explores the story of CalArts and the historical and biographical origins of Lavine's approach to life, with special attention to the way in which personal doubts and weaknesses became the basis of a style of leadership based on listening, learning, and consensus-building. Rohwer uncovers the deep grounding of Lavine's commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in his family's immigrant past and its legacy of Eastern European Jewry.

In these personal conversations, Lavine tells his life story for the first time, talking about cultural politics, philanthropy, the avant-garde, and Los Angeles at the center of his life. Spurred on by self-doubts and a desire to learn from failure, he proves to be a sensitive thinker, visionary and transatlantic mediator between the worlds of art, politics and education.

The book presents a brief history of the California Institute of the Arts, in which Walt Disney's vision for an art school located before the gates of Los Angeles became a reality. Opened 50 years ago, the California Institute of the Arts had long been in crisis, before Steven D. Lavine led it to financial prosperity and international acclaim. During the nearly three decades of his presidency (1988-2017), CalArts became a uniquely influential institution across the arts, with a commitment to continuing experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, social justice and civic engagement, domestic and international diversity. Today, CalArts is the cradle of many Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize winners, of Mellon and Guggenheim Fellows – a hotspot of American creativity.

REVIEW COPIES AND MEDIA INTERVIEWS:

To request a review copy of Steven D. Lavine — Failure is What It's All About or to schedule an interview/event with Jörn Jacob Rohwer or Dr. Steven D. Lavine, contact publicist Nanda Dyssou of Coriolis Company at nanda@corioliscompany.com or 424-226-6148.