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Maya Lin: Thinking with Her Hands
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is one of the most famous pieces of civic architecture in the world. But most people are not as familiar with the reserved college student who entered and won the design competition to build it. This accessible biography tells the story of Maya Lin, from her struggle to stick with her vision of the memorial to the wide variety of works she has created since then. The carefully researched text, paired with ample photos, crosses multiple interests--American history, civic activism, art history, and cultural diversity--and offers a timely celebration of the memorial's 35th anniversary as well as providing an important contribution to the current discussion of the role of women and minorities in society.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2017
About the author
Susan Goldman Rubin
77 books63 followersSusan Goldman Rubin is the author of more than forty-five books for young people, including Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter; The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin Side by Side; and Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow. A long-time instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers Program, Susan Goldman Rubin lives in Malibu, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
March 26, 2018
"Published to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., which Maya Lin designed for a competition while still a college student, the book echoes the famed architect’s spare, minimalist style with its compact trim size and simple organizing principal." [from Publishers Weekly]
May 1, 2017
this small tome, just over 100 pages, offers us a glimpse into Lin's life, her most famous comissions, and her creative process.
May 9, 2018
I came to think book only knowing Maya Lin as the designer of the Vietnam War Memorial and left with an impression of a very thoughtful, very skilled artist.
March 27, 2020
SOOO FASCINATING!!!!!!!!!!!
November 13, 2017
Maya Lin
Fittingly, Susan Goldman Rubin titles the chapters of her book Maya Lin with artful substances from nature since the natural world informs her architectural art.
Chapter 1 – Clay describes Maya’s early years in a home of Chinese ancestry with a father who is a ceramicist and a mother who is a poet. Given the chance to do her own modeling with the clay, hearing poetic words, and being surrounded by natural beauty sets a stage early for what she will become.
Chapter 2 – Granite tells the story of her unexpected win by a college student over 1,421 entries to design the Vietnam Memorial. Who would have thought her simple symbolic design would require so much strength on her part to keep that design as she had envisioned or that she would get only a B + for the class?
Chapter 3 – Water gave her a vision of using the biblical quote from the Martin Luther King address on the Civil Rights Memorial “Until Justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream” with water flowing over the quote.
Chapter 4 – Earth took her back to childhood playing with her brother over hills behind their house. She created “Wave Field,” “Flutter,” and “Storm King Wave Field” from that memory experience.
Chapter 5 – Glass kept an old barn in one sculpture and created a skylighted Noah’s ark with another, both with abundant glass to give a feeling of being outdoors in nature.
Chapter 6 – Celadon green from her Chinese heritage was Maya’s choice for the basic color of the Museum of Chinese in America.
Chapter 7 – Dunes and Driftwood became replacements for parking lots as she paid tribute to the paths of Lewis and Clark and the parallel path of the Native Americans to the ocean. She achieved her goal of showing what had been lost and what could be saved.
Chapter 8 – Wood has her only design for a family home. Most of the time, Maya will not do this kind of work. However, she did not abandon her outdoor approach since the house has a tree growing up through the deck and an abundance of windows.
The final chapter sets her philosophy of giving back and thinking about what is missing as society takes over the natural world.
With many beautiful photographs, abundant research, and a gift for story-telling, Susan Goldman Rubin shows the human being along with her artistic achievement and her love of nature. I recommend this fascinating biography of the work of the accomplished architect which is also a Junior Library Guild selection if you would like additional verification.
Fittingly, Susan Goldman Rubin titles the chapters of her book Maya Lin with artful substances from nature since the natural world informs her architectural art.
Chapter 1 – Clay describes Maya’s early years in a home of Chinese ancestry with a father who is a ceramicist and a mother who is a poet. Given the chance to do her own modeling with the clay, hearing poetic words, and being surrounded by natural beauty sets a stage early for what she will become.
Chapter 2 – Granite tells the story of her unexpected win by a college student over 1,421 entries to design the Vietnam Memorial. Who would have thought her simple symbolic design would require so much strength on her part to keep that design as she had envisioned or that she would get only a B + for the class?
Chapter 3 – Water gave her a vision of using the biblical quote from the Martin Luther King address on the Civil Rights Memorial “Until Justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream” with water flowing over the quote.
Chapter 4 – Earth took her back to childhood playing with her brother over hills behind their house. She created “Wave Field,” “Flutter,” and “Storm King Wave Field” from that memory experience.
Chapter 5 – Glass kept an old barn in one sculpture and created a skylighted Noah’s ark with another, both with abundant glass to give a feeling of being outdoors in nature.
Chapter 6 – Celadon green from her Chinese heritage was Maya’s choice for the basic color of the Museum of Chinese in America.
Chapter 7 – Dunes and Driftwood became replacements for parking lots as she paid tribute to the paths of Lewis and Clark and the parallel path of the Native Americans to the ocean. She achieved her goal of showing what had been lost and what could be saved.
Chapter 8 – Wood has her only design for a family home. Most of the time, Maya will not do this kind of work. However, she did not abandon her outdoor approach since the house has a tree growing up through the deck and an abundance of windows.
The final chapter sets her philosophy of giving back and thinking about what is missing as society takes over the natural world.
With many beautiful photographs, abundant research, and a gift for story-telling, Susan Goldman Rubin shows the human being along with her artistic achievement and her love of nature. I recommend this fascinating biography of the work of the accomplished architect which is also a Junior Library Guild selection if you would like additional verification.
June 19, 2017
Maya Lin
Thinking With Her Hands
by Susan Goldman Rubin
Chronicle Books
Children's Nonfiction , Middle Grade
Pub Date 07 Nov 2017
I am voluntarily reviewing Maya Lin through Chronicle Books and Netgalley:
As a child Maya did not dream of becoming an artist, but a veternarian. She and her brother roamed the woods behind there house on Cable Lane in Athens Ohio, where they would sit quietly watching the animals.
Maya Yin Ling was born on October 5,1959, her Father was a Cermatist and her Mother a poet, both of her parents taught at Ohio University. Her parents had been born in China but escaped to the United States during a Civil War in the 1940's. As a child Maya did not think of herself as an Asian American, but as white because she wanted to fit in. It wasn't until later that she embraced her Asian Heritage.
Maya had been a child when the Vietnam war broke out. When planning the Memorial she wanted to o so in a way that created a unity between the nations passed and present.
Maya and her professor were the only one's in their class that submitted their entries for the Memorial. The deadline was March.31.1981 she said it took longer to write the statement than design the Memorial.
On the last day of classes Maya got a call from Washington someone from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial fund wanted to talk to her, out of 1,421 entries her design won the contest. Despite her winning the contest her professor only gave her a B- on the assignment. After she graduated from Yale Maya moved to Washington DC to become a consultant on the project.
After the success of the Vietnam War Memorial Maya was offered other memorials which she refused Neil 1988 when she was asked to help design the Civil Rights Memorial.
Maya Lin is the story of a remarkable woman who has chosen to make a difference through her art.
Five out of five stars.
Happy Reading!
December 30, 2024
Although this is designated for my library's children's collection, I found it engaging and very readable at an adult level, as an overview of Maya Lin's life and work. I love that she is the daughter of a poet and a ceramicist; the introductory quote from her, "I was making things my whole childhood and I still am," is very apropos, as is the book's subtitle, "thinking with her hands." I knew about the Vietnam War Memorial but wasn't familiar with all of her incredible work, designing museums, libraries, homes, and other memorials across the United States, including two works (the Langston Hughes Library and the Riggio-Lynch Chapel, on property once owned by Roots: The Saga of an American Family author Alex Haley) for the Children's Defense Fund.
This biography makes clear what a dedicated artist Maya Lin is and also that her hard work is as important to her substantive career as her talent and vision. Looking at the works included (the book includes many photographs), the reader can see that she deserves every accolade and award that she has earned, and that her achievements are considerable and will be lasting. I especially appreciate that what she calls her final project, What Is Missing?, is one that "focuses attention on species and places that have gone extinct or will most likely disappear within our lifetime if we do not act to protect them," as her website describes it. Hopefully her vision to protect the environment will also have long-lasting and positive ramifications as it helps people to see the world in a different way.
This biography makes clear what a dedicated artist Maya Lin is and also that her hard work is as important to her substantive career as her talent and vision. Looking at the works included (the book includes many photographs), the reader can see that she deserves every accolade and award that she has earned, and that her achievements are considerable and will be lasting. I especially appreciate that what she calls her final project, What Is Missing?, is one that "focuses attention on species and places that have gone extinct or will most likely disappear within our lifetime if we do not act to protect them," as her website describes it. Hopefully her vision to protect the environment will also have long-lasting and positive ramifications as it helps people to see the world in a different way.
September 4, 2019
A biography of architect and artist Maya Lin that looks at her life growing up, then some of her biggest projects, the inspiration for each one, and why she decided to do each one.
Susan Goldman Rubin's books are lusciously put together. They always are a feast for the eyes, full of full color photographs, glossy paper, and well-thought out spacing of text. They are also very informative but a fairly quick read. All three aspects, beauty, info, and length make for a winning biography especially when you're trying to get tweens and teens to read it. I have read a picture book biography of Maya Lin and the Vietnam Memorial, but this had so much more information. I had no idea what kind of hassles she went through to get her design to completion because she was a young, Asian, woman. She was kind of thrown into the fire with the toughest architectural/design job you could think of right off the bat, even before she finished college. I like that she is picky with the projects she chooses to do. It shows that her art and time have meaning to her. Some of her outdoors projects were quite interesting to learn about. A great read for artists, art classes, art/architecture appreciators, those about to visit the Vietnam Memorial, and those looking for a good biography.
No content issues.
Susan Goldman Rubin's books are lusciously put together. They always are a feast for the eyes, full of full color photographs, glossy paper, and well-thought out spacing of text. They are also very informative but a fairly quick read. All three aspects, beauty, info, and length make for a winning biography especially when you're trying to get tweens and teens to read it. I have read a picture book biography of Maya Lin and the Vietnam Memorial, but this had so much more information. I had no idea what kind of hassles she went through to get her design to completion because she was a young, Asian, woman. She was kind of thrown into the fire with the toughest architectural/design job you could think of right off the bat, even before she finished college. I like that she is picky with the projects she chooses to do. It shows that her art and time have meaning to her. Some of her outdoors projects were quite interesting to learn about. A great read for artists, art classes, art/architecture appreciators, those about to visit the Vietnam Memorial, and those looking for a good biography.
No content issues.
October 11, 2017
Maya Lin was thrust into the national spotlight when her design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., completed as a college project, won out over other entries. In her early 20s, she found herself in a struggle to keep the integrity of her vision during a national conversation in which powerful people demanded changes. The experience set the tone for major projects that would come throughout her career.
Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin tells the story of Lin’s life in a biography accessible to young readers aged 8 to 12. While showcasing Lin’s work, the story also focuses on her groundbreaking role as an artist, an achievement even more impressive considering she began her career during a time when women and minorities had to work extra hard to be taken seriously. Photographs show not only Lin’s work, but how people interact with her installations, which include buildings, memorials, and places in nature.
The book’s release coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, which makes it a good time to reflect on the social changes that have occurred during Lin’s career.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Maya Lin: Thinking With Her Hands by Susan Goldman Rubin tells the story of Lin’s life in a biography accessible to young readers aged 8 to 12. While showcasing Lin’s work, the story also focuses on her groundbreaking role as an artist, an achievement even more impressive considering she began her career during a time when women and minorities had to work extra hard to be taken seriously. Photographs show not only Lin’s work, but how people interact with her installations, which include buildings, memorials, and places in nature.
The book’s release coincides with the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, which makes it a good time to reflect on the social changes that have occurred during Lin’s career.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 15, 2018
Maya Lin was born to parents who emigrated from China to Athens, Ohio. She entered a contest to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and her idea won. She described how difficult it was to create something and then give it over to other people. She wanted the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be simple and somber, she wanted the names to be placed chronologically. However, her work was criticized for not being uplifting. She also opposed having statues put near the memorial, but her vision was not honored. I felt that despite her tremendous contribution to the United States being involved with the memorial was a terrible experience for her. She was also mistreated because she was a woman and of Asian heritage. In the third chapter named Water, Maya Lin overcame her hesitancy to build another memorial. She did not want to be known as someone who built memorials. She changed her mind because she wanted the opportunity to give people an understanding of that time period. It was satisfying to read that in 2010 she received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama. Her last memorial is has an environmental theme. The memorial shows the ecological history of our planet, and is named What is Missing?
April 20, 2020
Book #14 of social distancing: Maya Lin: Thinking with Her Hands by Susan a Goldman Rubin.
3.5/5 stars. This is an informational nonfiction book about architect, Maya Lin, who is well-known for designing the National Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in D.C. while still in college as well as the National Civil Rights Memorial. But, she’s designed a NUMBER of other things besides monuments and memorials such as an elevated library that commemorates numerous famous African Americans as well as the Box House that has disappearing walls to create and un-create different rooms in the house.
Honestly, the topic intrigued me. Lately, during quarantine, I’ve been fascinated with art and architecture (I’m obsessed with a documentary on Netflix called “Abstract: The Art of Design”). But this book was too choppy and felt like a book written for lower elementary students rather than junior high students. There were several points where I felt as though Rubin left me hanging and more information about Lin or the design could have been provided. At best, this feels like a Wikipedia-like introduction to Lin and her work and it left me wanting MORE about her!
3.5/5 stars. This is an informational nonfiction book about architect, Maya Lin, who is well-known for designing the National Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in D.C. while still in college as well as the National Civil Rights Memorial. But, she’s designed a NUMBER of other things besides monuments and memorials such as an elevated library that commemorates numerous famous African Americans as well as the Box House that has disappearing walls to create and un-create different rooms in the house.
Honestly, the topic intrigued me. Lately, during quarantine, I’ve been fascinated with art and architecture (I’m obsessed with a documentary on Netflix called “Abstract: The Art of Design”). But this book was too choppy and felt like a book written for lower elementary students rather than junior high students. There were several points where I felt as though Rubin left me hanging and more information about Lin or the design could have been provided. At best, this feels like a Wikipedia-like introduction to Lin and her work and it left me wanting MORE about her!
November 28, 2018
Maya Lin is, of course, the central figure for this biographical text, a women most famous for designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D. C. This text however goes beyond her most famed accomplishment to inform the reader on the circumstances surrounding her childhood, and her later accomplishments in life, after having designed the Vietnam Memorial. I believe that Author Susan Goldman Rubin did a superb job in describing Lin’s inspiration, and showcasing her work by both text and with visual representations in what could almost be described as a photobiography. There are very few critiques I have for this book. The font, and size of the words on each page are appropriate enough that they do not appear as giant blocks of informational text that might otherwise, discourage some readers; this is especially reinforced by the breaking up of text with the insertion of pictures.
August 31, 2017
For the last two years I have taken 8th graders to Washington D.C. for their 8th grade class trip. I have always found the Vietnam Memorial to be especially moving and almost a religious experience.
I was excited to be granted an ARC of Maya Lin: Thinking with her Hands via NetGalley because of my personal experience with Lin's spectacular creation in Washington D.C. This book provides great insights into the mind of an artist, a creator, and of someone who truly believes and strives to create change through her work. Full of brilliant pictures, beautiful quotes, and a great story of Lin's life, this non-fiction piece will pull in lovers, of art, history, and greatness in general!
I loved it and I look forward to book talking it with my students tomorrow!
I was excited to be granted an ARC of Maya Lin: Thinking with her Hands via NetGalley because of my personal experience with Lin's spectacular creation in Washington D.C. This book provides great insights into the mind of an artist, a creator, and of someone who truly believes and strives to create change through her work. Full of brilliant pictures, beautiful quotes, and a great story of Lin's life, this non-fiction piece will pull in lovers, of art, history, and greatness in general!
I loved it and I look forward to book talking it with my students tomorrow!
July 14, 2019
The first time I was introduced to Maya Lin was in my art history class in college and since then I've really admired her work. In this book we get to see some of her work, the mediums she's used, her process, and her progression. She's most famous for (and usually people only know of) the war veterans memorial but in this book we look at some of her other works as well. For a middle school book I really think it has enough information to be detailed but also some very simple but powerful messages, especially for women in the artworld (but also for minorities and arts & lit students in general). Great read!
June 17, 2017
Beautifully done. Easy to follow, lovely and interesting layout, brilliant coverage of a fascinating subject! I've always been interested in Maya Lin, and I loved hearing first hand about her design experiences. Rubin makes the subject matter easy to follow, and I can see myself handing this book to both artistically minded students and those who just enjoy an interesting non-fiction story. Really well done for the middle grade audience!
*Note: this review was done on an advanced reader copy from NetGalley.
*Note: this review was done on an advanced reader copy from NetGalley.
June 21, 2017
I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
Many know the story of Maya Lin's Vietnam Memorial. How she was very young and a surprise choice by many. What you might not know about her is how she continued her career. Many requested her to create memorials but she shied away from those and chose different projects throughout the years including a beautiful library. I learned a lot about Lin in this book and feel that it would be a good read for teen students working on projects and appropriate for adults too. Very interesting and well written.
Many know the story of Maya Lin's Vietnam Memorial. How she was very young and a surprise choice by many. What you might not know about her is how she continued her career. Many requested her to create memorials but she shied away from those and chose different projects throughout the years including a beautiful library. I learned a lot about Lin in this book and feel that it would be a good read for teen students working on projects and appropriate for adults too. Very interesting and well written.
August 10, 2017
A book that makes you want to visit every architectural site designed by Lin because you get the philosophy behind the design coupled with photographs of the realized project.There is plenty of information about her life and interests, a subtle mention of the prejudice she faced as a woman and oriental (not to mention someone who climbed to fame while still in college). The text is very accessible and the photographs are numerous and crisp. A wonderful collection to both biographies and the arts.
November 25, 2017
Read for Librarian Book Group
Though I knew Maya Lin was an undergraduate at Yale when she designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, I'd never seen a picture of her, and, my goodness, she looks young in those photos.
I appreciated this book for the overview of Lin's life. I live near one of the Confluence sites, so was familiar with that project, and the Wall, but this book filled me in on her other works and early life. I would love to see the Wave Field, either in Michigan or New York someday.
Though I knew Maya Lin was an undergraduate at Yale when she designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, I'd never seen a picture of her, and, my goodness, she looks young in those photos.
I appreciated this book for the overview of Lin's life. I live near one of the Confluence sites, so was familiar with that project, and the Wall, but this book filled me in on her other works and early life. I would love to see the Wave Field, either in Michigan or New York someday.
January 15, 2018
In this excellent children's biography, architect Maya Lin is profiled for her distinctive work. Best known for designing the Vietnam War Memorial (The Wall), she also worked on several other significant projects. For example, I visited the Chinese American History museum in NYC, not knowing she was involved in its design, and always thought of it as a particularly graceful museum. The book is relatively brief and fairly easy for even a 4th or 5th grader, and filled with b&w and color photos. Great of Women's History Month, school reports, and recreational reading.
May 10, 2018
Maya Lin is so much more remarkable than I knew! Happened to pick up this book at my local library in a section of featured books that were recommended by library workers. Great find.
Written for older children-to-high schoolers, I'd say, but I really enjoyed it too.
Lovely photos of Lin's work paired with descriptions of the creative thinking and goal behind each piece.
Lin is an inspirational figure who is also a first generation Chinese-American, and is a genius who succeeded at a young age and continues to produce thoughtful and gorgeous art in many media these decades later.
Written for older children-to-high schoolers, I'd say, but I really enjoyed it too.
Lovely photos of Lin's work paired with descriptions of the creative thinking and goal behind each piece.
Lin is an inspirational figure who is also a first generation Chinese-American, and is a genius who succeeded at a young age and continues to produce thoughtful and gorgeous art in many media these decades later.
Read
March 25, 2022BTSYA / Teen Reader (15): There are many things I like about this book. Before reading this book, I didn’t know about the criticism of Lin’s original design or that Lin was a student at Yale when she came up with the idea of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Similarly, I also liked learning about Lin and the backstory of her motivation to create many different memorials and structures that are famous today. See more in the full review.
February 3, 2018
For a picture book about her, try "Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines" by Jeanne Walker Harvey. Use these together to show how more than one biography of a person should be read to get a fuller image of a famous person.
This could also be contrast with "Vinnie and Abraham" by Dawn Fitzgerald to show how they faced similar barriers of acceptance due to their age, gender, and 'inexperience' even though they lived more than 100 years apart!
This could also be contrast with "Vinnie and Abraham" by Dawn Fitzgerald to show how they faced similar barriers of acceptance due to their age, gender, and 'inexperience' even though they lived more than 100 years apart!
February 28, 2020
Engaging book about an architect and some of the things she's designed, from the Vietnam Memorial (which I read about in an earlier Cybils book) to science installations, wave forms outside buildings and a private home. The pictures glow and give a sense of the presence of these structures and the text gives both an understanding of Lin and also of the design process she uses to create her ideas.
February 16, 2018
An inspiring biography organized around the wide variety of elements that Maya Lin incorporates into her architectural designs: clay, water, granite, earth, glass, celadon, dunes and driftwood, wood, and memories. Pristine photographs illustrate many of the artist architect’s most significant designs. A concise, simple glimpse into her creative process. Wonderful.
April 25, 2018
This book taught me that Maya Lin is a leader. She has a vision, is super determined, and will stand her ground. Each chapter gave me goosebumps as I was incredibly moved by her sources of inspiration, her integrity, and the sincerity of her work. Each project she's completed is so impressive, and it's definitely necessary for kids to hear her story.
Ages 10-14
Ages 10-14
April 27, 2018
Wow❣️Not only am I now even more of a fan of Maya Lin I’ve become a huge fan of Susan Goldman Rubin!! Her delightfully effortless writing style simultaneously inspires me to design a road trip to visit all of Lin’s works while guiding me on my own personal virtual trip! Perfectly chosen details and descriptions! Beautifully crafted book! I’m inL❤️VE❣️
August 4, 2018
I am not usually a big fan of biographies, but I really enjoyed MAYA LIN. It is visually engaging with gorgeous photographs, and I love that it is organized in chapters by material type. I didn't know much about Lin before reading this book and I'm excited to share this with my students as a part of RIMSBA this year!
December 13, 2019
Maybe older elementary? Seems a little brief for middle school but definitely a nice jump from [picture book biographies. I appreciate the overview of materials and inspirations, as well as the photographs of projects and promptings, since some would be hard to imagine on their own. I feel like this would be a great title to integrate with art classes.
August 22, 2020
What a straight forward look into the life of Maya Lin. This book is simple and inspirational, like her designs it is filled with complex ideas but presented in a very easy to understand way. She tackles issues like equality, fear after 9-11, and environmentalism. It is a book for YA, but I recommend it for all ages, anyone who wants to understand how art and architecture can be more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews