In his meticulously researched biography of Grant Wood, Evans (Wheaton College in Massachusetts) skillfully disentangles the myth from the man. Almost universally known for his iconic painting American Gothic (1930), Wood has been enshrined in the art historical literature as the quintessential American artist who faithfully, if ironically, portrays the folksy values of his humble Midwestern compatriots. Through a close reading of primary source material, Evans makes a compelling case that Grant Wood was a closeted homosexual, a belief privately held or openly alluded to by many who knew him, including his wife, Sara Sherman Maxon. Having established Wood's probable sexual orientation and noting the artist's own ambivalence towards sexuality, Evans is able to tease out a wealth of convincing fresh interpretations for even Wood's best-known works...