Draft:Tad Crawford (author)

• Comment: Almost all the sources are not verifiable. Ibjaja055 (talk) 16:41, 24 September 2024 (UTC)

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Tad Crawford (born 1946) is an American author, attorney, and publisher. Crawford grew up in the artists' colony of Woodstock, New York. He majored in economics at Tufts University and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1971. He clerked on the New York Court of Appeals in 1972–73. In 1973, he began practicing law with a small firm, but his interest in writing led to his also teaching writing at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Aiding Artists and Authors

Realizing his students lacked legal and business knowledge, Crawford developed a course titled "Law and the Visual Artist." This led to his first book, Legal Guide for the Visual Artist which was followed by The Writer's Legal Guide and more than a dozen other books to help creative professionals (see Bibliography).

Crawford served on the Board of the Foundation for the Community of Artists in the 1970s and as General Counsel to the Graphic Artists Guild in the early 1980s. As an advocate for artists, he drafted a moral rights law for New York State that was enacted in 1984. He presented a package of pro-artist legislative proposals to the National Conference of State Legislators which led to laws being enacted in states such as New York, California, and Oregon. He also testified with respect to moral rights and work made for hire before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee responsible for copyright legislation. Crawford received a National Endowment for the Arts award in 1979 for his writing to assist artists. In 1992, he was honored by being made the first recipient of the Graphic Artists Guild's Walter Horten's Award for Distinguished Service.

Crawford spoke frequently on business and legal issues for creative professionals, including being a moderator for the 1980 conference on "The Business of Art and the Artist." The two-day conference, held at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, was sponsored by the Foundation for the Community of Artists, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Small Business Administration. In addition, Crawford presented to many of the leading arts organizations such as the Graphic Artists Guild, the Society of Illustrators, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the American Society of Media Photographers, the Art Directors Club of New York, and the Society of Publication Designers.

Publishing

In 1982, Crawford became the publisher for Madison Square Press which issued full-color annual books for organizations such as the Society of Illustrators, the Society of Publication Designers, and the Art Directors Club of Los Angeles.

In 1988, he decided, "to create a press that would offer the kind of information that was more like what I had taught, written about, and lobbied for." Crawford saw the need for a publishing company that would provide practical information to creative professionals, such as artists, photographers, designers, and authors. He knew first-hand the issues faced every day by such creative people and could envision a spectrum of books to help them survive and prosper professionally.

In the Fall of 1989, Crawford published Allworth Press's first book, a revised edition of his Legal Guide for the Visual Artist. Ten more titles followed in 1990, offering information about marketing, promotion, pricing, copyright, contracts, health and safety, and much more. The mission of Allworth Press was and is to publish books for professionals, beginning professionals, and college students in the areas of art, writing, performing arts, film, music, and personal finance. In 1994, Allworth Press received the Small Press Publisher of the Year Award from Quality Books. In 2011, Allworth Press became part of Skyhorse Publishing. Under Crawford's continuing guidance as publisher, Allworth Press has built a backlist approaching 400 titles and publishes up to a dozen new titles each year.

Mythology and Fiction

In addition to writing practical career advice to aid creative professionals, Crawford has also written novels and a nonfiction work delving into the psychology and mythology of money. His book titled The Secret Life of Money uses myths and folktales from around the world to explore the unseen soul dimension of money. Publishers Weekly wrote, "the book should enlighten those who tend to view money only in the most literal terms." Mind, Body, Spirit Magazine gave the book its Award of Excellence. Crawford has discussed the topic of money on television and radio programs, including The O'Reilly Report, Fox on Money, Good Day, It's Only Money, Wake Up, and New York & Company. A video of his presentation to the Myth Salon titled "The Secret Life of Money: Myths, Archetypes, Folk Tales and More" can be viewed on YouTube.

Crawford also authored a novel titled A Floating Life in which a man going through a midlife crisis (and a divorce) finds a mentor who guides him on a transformative journey to a new life. Kirkus described the novel as "odd, offbeat and strangely shimmering," Booklist praised its "elements of the picaresque and magic realism, blended with quirky, surreal humor," and The New York Journal of Books stated, "his refreshing style brings surprise and fun back into fiction."

A more recently published novel is On Wine-Dark Seas. In exploring what might have happened after The Odyssey, Crawford celebrates the ongoing power of mythmaking and creates a powerful exploration of the relationships between fathers and sons. The Historical Novel Society review commended the novel as, "Elegantly written and richly nuanced . . ." A Classical Wisdom Podcast titled "The Sequel to the Odyssey?" can be found on YouTube.

Crawford's stories and articles have appeared in such venues as American Artist, Art in America, The Café Irreal, Confrontation, Communication Arts, Family Circle, Glamour, Guernica, The Nation, and Writer's Digest.

In a recent interview Crawford discusses his diverse writing. Titled "Art, Money, Fiction," it is also available on YouTube.

Bibliography

A Floating Life: A Novel

AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design (editor)

The Artist-Gallery Partnership (with Susan Mellon)

Business and Legal Forms for Crafts

Business and Legal Forms for Fine Artists

Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers (with Eva Doman Bruck)

Business and Legal Forms for Illustrators

Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers (with Eva Doman Bruck)

Business and Legal Forms for Industrial Designers (with Eva Doman Bruck and Carl W. Battle)

Business and Legal Forms for Photographers

Legal Guide for the Visual Artist (with Bo Bogatin)

The Money Mentor

On Wine-Dark Seas: A Novel of Odysseus and His Fatherless Son Telemachus

The Secret Life of Money

Selling Your Photography (with Arie Kopelman)

Selling Your Graphic Design and Illustration (with Arie Kopelman)

Starting Your Career as a Freelance Photographer

The Writer's Legal Guide (with Kay Murray)