How Artists Make Money and How Money Makes Artists

David Berry is a writer, editor and critic. He spent the first two decades of his professional career profiling and critiquing the book, film, music and theatre scenes for an Edmonton-based alt-weekly, and then did the same nationally for the National Post. He has contributed essays, criticism and features to the Globe and Mail, The Walrus, CBC, Hazlitt, and many other places, some of which still exist.His first book, On Nostalgia, was published in summer 2020 by Coach House Books, just in time for everyone to suddenly become incredibly nostalgic for a time when they could actually see people and maybe even buy books in person. He lives in Edmonton with his partner and their two children, one of whom is both old enough to read and quite insistent on being referenced in this biography.

"Berry’s foray into the traditional discomfort artists have talking about money – especially coming out the tail of the “trying isn’t cool; you’re a sellout” ’90s – is both refreshing and, at points, crushing." – Fish Griwkowsky, Edmonton Journal"[How Artists Make Money and How Money Makes Artists] is a thorough interrogation of the intersection of creativity and wealth, both historic and contemporary." – Josh O'Kane, The Globe and MailPraise for On Nostalgia:"Coming hot on the heels of the creator era, Berry’s incredibly timely book deftly examines the delicate balance between art and commerce, providing for both the uninitiated and those with intimate knowledge a thoughtful glimpse at the tightrope that artists of all disciplines must walk."  – Rollie Pemberton, musician and author of Bedroom Rapper"Berry’s subject is a wide-ranging one, but he pulls off the impressive feat of covering plenty of ground in a concise and compelling manner. " – Tobias Carroll, Literary Hub"If nostalgia was a disease in the Good Old Days, then David Berry's cogently argued, intelligent, and witty book should be prescribed reading for anyone wishing to understand what sometimes feels like a peculiarly virulent epidemic of our current times." – Travis Elborough, author of Atlas of Improbable Places"We're so lucky to have a writer as thoughtful, funny, smart, and cutting as David Berry. Nostalgia dictates so much of our world, and there isn't a better cataloger, critic, and guide through it than Berry." – Scaachi Koul, author of Sucker Punch