The Art of the Straight Line

The Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed's worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. It was edited by his wife, the artist Laurie Anderson. Lou Reed was a musician, singer, songwriter, poet, and founding member of the legendary rock band the Velvet Underground. He collaborated with many artists, from Andy Warhol and John Cale to Robert Wilson and Metallica. Reed had a groundbreaking solo career that spanned five decades until his death in 2013. Reed was also an accomplished martial artist whose practice began in the 1980s. He studied with Chen Tai Chi pioneer Master Ren GuangYi. This book is a comprehensive collection of Reed's writings on Tai Chi. It includes conversations with Reed's fellow musicians, artists, friends, and Tai Chi practitioners, including Julian Schnabel, A.M. Homes, Hal Willner, Mingyur Rinpoche, Eddie Stern, Tony Visconti, and Iggy Pop. The Art of the Straight Line features Reed's unpublished writings on the technique, practice, and purpose of martial arts, as well as essays, observations, and riffs on meditation and life.

Lou Reed was a musician, singer, songwriter, and poet, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame twice. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a legendary solo career that spanned five decades. He passed away in 2013.
Laurie Anderson was the wife of the late Lou Reed. She is a highly acclaimed musician, visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, vocalist, and instrumentalist. She lives in New York, New York.