Magic Off Main chronicles the life and art of Esther Warkov, a visual artist of Jewish heritage who lives in Winnipeg and paints in a surrealistic and postmodern style. It considers Warkov's art through an understanding of her life and the palpable effect her life as a Jewish woman growing up on the Canadian prairies has had on her art.

By tracing the development of Warkov's art over forty years, Rasporich addresses aspects of biography, social and cultural history, and art history in a cohesive volume. This biography is not limited to the narrow discipline of art and art history. Rather, it is a contribution to the larger field of Canadian studies, including cultural studies, and social history.

Prepared and written with careful consideration, Magic Off Main provides a rare glimpse into the personal insights and explanations of Warkov and is richly illustrated with forty illustrations and photographs.

Beverly Rasporich has written many articles on Canadian arts and culture, Native art and literature, Canadian humour, ethnicity, and multiculturalism. She is author of Dance of the Sexes: Art and Gender in the Fiction of Alice Munro, the CD-ROM Western Place/Women's Space, and Magic off Main: The Art of Esther Warkov (University of Calgary Press).

Beverly J. Rasporich's profile page