176 ratings | 60 reviews | avg rating:4.86

James’s Year In Books

James’s 2025 Year in Books

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

James Steichen has read 9 of 40 books.

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James Steichen

Goodreads Author

Born

in Tulsa, The United States

Website

http://www.jimsteichen.com

Twitter

jpsteichen

Genre

Dance, Music

Influences

George Balanchine, Lincoln Kirstein, Elizabeth Kendall, Lynn Garafola, ...more

Member Since

July 2018

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James Steichen grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and attended the University of Virginia and University of Chicago before completing a PhD in musicology from Princeton University. Prior to his doctoral studies he worked for five years in the development office at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and he currently serves as Director of Individual Gifts at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

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Combine Editions
James Steichen’s books

Average rating: 4.67 · 18 ratings · 3 reviews · 2 distinct works

	Balanchine and Kirstein's American Enterprise 4.65 avg rating — 17 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Music of the Renaissance: Imagination and Reality of a Cultural Practice by Laurenz Lütteken, James Steichen (Goodreads Author) (Translator), Christopher Reynolds (Foreword) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

28 posts
James Steichen's Blog

Carefully Taught

Hi all, moving forward I’ll be using the blog feature of this website more selectively in lieu of a new monthly newsletter, which I’m calling Carefully Taught, the working title of my book in progress.

Please sign up for a free subscription here – hope to see you there!

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Published on October 31, 2025 14:50

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James is Currently Reading

James Steichen is currently reading

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

by Karen Valby

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Apr 10, 2026 12:19PM

James Steichen is currently reading

A Gentleman in Moscow

by Amor Towles (Goodreads Author)

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Feb 28, 2026 02:27PM

James Steichen is currently reading

Impossible Project: The Story of Russian Ballet and Its Survival

by Daria Khitrova

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Dec 31, 2025 12:41PM

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James Steichen is on page 185 of 304 of The Swans of Harlem The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5 hours, 59 min ago · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Steichen rated a book it was amazing The Brand New Catastrophe by Mike Scalise (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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James Steichen is currently reading The Brand New Catastrophe by Mike Scalise (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 14, 2026 10:55PM · like
James Steichen started reading The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 10, 2026 12:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Swans of Harlem by Karen Valby <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Steichen rated a book it was amazing Opera Wars: Inside the World of Opera and the Battles for Its Future by Caitlin Vincent (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book provides a smart and accessible overview of the history of opera and the present realities and challenges of the art form. The author is an opera singer who also has experience on the administrative and practical side of the opera world and ...more
Apr 09, 2026 11:52PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Opera Wars by Caitlin Vincent. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Opera Wars by Caitlin Vincent <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Steichen is currently reading Opera Wars: Inside the World of Opera and the Battles for Its Future by Caitlin Vincent (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 05, 2026 11:18PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Opera Wars by Caitlin Vincent. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Opera Wars by Caitlin Vincent <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Steichen and 1 other person liked Hubert's review of Balanchine and Kirstein's American Enterprise: "A really convincing and enthralling look at the early years of collaboration between George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, who met Balanchine in Europe and brought him over to the USA with the assistance of his patronage friends Edward Warburg (of " Read more of this review »
Mar 29, 2026 10:44PM · see review
James Steichen rated a book it was amazing Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America by Joanna Dee Das	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This book provides essential historical context about how Branson came to be a tourist and entertainment destination and also explores the different cultural and political dimensions of the region, especially as American politics have evolved in rece ...more
Mar 29, 2026 10:33PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Faith, Family, and Flag by Joanna Dee Das. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Faith, Family, and Flag by Joanna Dee Das <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Steichen rated a book it was amazing Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery by Gavin Newsom	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 23, 2026 04:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Young Man in a Hurry by Gavin Newsom. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Young Man in a Hurry by Gavin Newsom <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">