Swimming Studies is a collection of autobiographical sketches that explore the worlds of competitive and recreational swimming. From her training for the Olympic trials as a teenager, to meditative swims in pools and oceans as an adult, Leanne Shapton contemplates the sport that has shaped her life. Her spare and elegant writing reveals an intimate narrative of suburban adolescence, spent underwater in a discipline that continues to inspire Shapton's work as an artist and author, while her illustrations offer a new perspective on the landscapes and imagery of swimming. Shapton emphasizes the private, often solitary moments of athletic pursuit rather than its triumphs. This remarkable work of written and visual pieces propels the reader through a beautifully personal exercise in reflection. (From Riverhead Books)

Shapton is an artist and author of several books, including Guestbook: Ghost Stories and Women in Clothes. She is also the co-founder of J&L Books, a publisher of art and photography books. She lives in New York City.