Monograph writing is not for the faint of heart—or in the case of Dr. Catherine DiCesare, the process of writing a single-author scholarly book wasn’t for the faint of art. For this CSU Professor of Art History, monograph writing reflects both a deep commitment to her field as well as a thoughtful approach to sustainable writing habits and scholarly collaboration.
Catherine specializes in pre-Columbian art history and arts of the Americas, with research focusing on the conquest period in central Mexico. She has recently published her second book, The Codex Borbonicus Veintena Imagery: Visualizing History, Time, and Ritual in Aztec Solar-year Festivals (Amsterdam 2025), which she takes a highly specialized exploration into Aztec painted books depicting indigenous calendars and public ceremonies. Delving beyond the extant written texts on this topic, Catherine decided to focus specifically on the imagery available in the ancient tradition of pictorial manuscripts in Mexico in order to discover what story the images themselves can tell us.
Catherine’s process for writing this monograph blended both structured timed writing sessions with an overall flexibility to avoid burnout.
“I try to write in short sessions most weekday mornings. I use a modified “pomodoro” method, though I am not super strict, working in “poms” of 15-45 minutes at a time with breaks. It is amazing how much you can accomplish in 30 focused minutes. I try not to overdo it on a given day. Keeping in touch with the project makes it so much easier to move forward. CSU Writes retreats were invaluable for longer, dedicated blocks of time to move a section or a chapter forward. It was really rewarding to see things progress regularly over the years and to see it all come together.”
In addition to finding the right balance in her writing time schedule, Catherine benefited most from finding her own writing group: “My writing partners were invaluable in helping me cross the finish line with this latest book.” Her overall advice for other book writers is to create a consistent habit for when you expect to sit down and write, and to do so mindfully in a way that matches your daily energy levels to the level of mental effort each writing/project task requires: “I am most able to concentrate first thing in the mornings and sometimes late afternoon. When energy is low, I work on other stuff. I schedule my activities to capitalize on this.” She argues that if you start with tasks like class prep and grading then you’re unlikely to get to writing that day; instead, make it a point to “write first thing.”
With this second book under her belt, Catherine reflects on how her writing practice has transformed since she first became a professor: “Writing has become a regular part of my work schedule now, not just something I fit in around other tasks. It’s still a challenge (!), and every project takes longer than I expect, but it’s more manageable and enjoyable now.”
Catherine’s prior book on Aztec Art and Ritual can be accessed here: Sweeping the Wary: Divine Transformation in the Aztec Festival of Ochpanizltli (University Press of Colorado, 2009).