Amy Zerner and Monte Farber are a duo of writers and illustrators active in the fields of astrology and spirituality. As a married couple, they have written over 50 books and achieved sales of over 3 million copies. Cited as among the world's foremost designers of astrological publications, oracle and divination systems, and related products,
Farber serves as the primary author while Zerner both writes and illustrates. The couple published their first book in 1988,
and have subsequently released their work throughout the world with publications in 18 languages.
Early lives
Amy Zerner was born in
Teaneck, New Jersey in 1951 into a family of artists. Her maternal grandfather Clayton Spicer was a landscape painter, while her mother Jessie Spicer Zerner was an illustrator of children's books.
From an early age, Zerner was involved in making her own art, including collages created from natural materials found in the woods near her childhood home. In 1967, Zerner's family moved to
East Hampton, New York. By 1969, she had already begun to design and sew her own clothes, and was inspired by the local counter-cultural art scene. After graduating from
East Hampton High School in 1969, she enrolled in the
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...
in
Brooklyn to study art.
By 1974, she had begun studying at the
School of Visual Arts and had moved into designing theatrical props under the guidance of
Tony Walton
Anthony John Walton (24 October 1934 – 2 March 2022) was a British set and costume designer. He won three Tony Awards for his work on ''Pippin'' (1973), ''House of Blue Leaves'' (1986), and ''Guys and Dolls'' (1992). For his work in movies he ...
, including the premiere Broadway run of ''
Chicago''. She has also designed clothing and jewelry for
Bergdorf Goodman and celebrity clients.
Monte Farber was born in
Brooklyn, New York in 1950. His father was a sergeant in the
New York City Police Department stationed in the then-existent 74th Precinct covering
Prospect Park, and Farber's early life was spent around the police station. During his teenage years, relations with his father deteriorated and he was thrown out of the house at age 17. Farber, a budding musician, lived on the streets for some time. By 1969, he had joined a
progressive rock band called The Flow which played free concerts to protest the Vietnam War at the
Central Park Bandstand,
Baruch College, and a 1972 campaign rally for
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pres ...
.
Farber and Zerner met in October 1974 during the making of ''Up the Girls'', a pornographic film intended as the first 'feminist adult production'; Farber was playing in a percussion band in a crowd scene, while Zerner was an invited guest. The two began dating and got married in 1978.
The same year, Farber's burgeoning music career was featured in ''
The New York Times'' in an article focusing on his performances with Roland the Robot, a musical automaton of his own creation.
By this point, both Farber and Zerner had become interested in astrology, with Farber providing
sun sign astrology columns for the Hamptons-based lifestyle publication ''
Dan's Papers'',
and Zerner featuring astrological imagery and symbolism in her tapestry art.
Farber continued to pursue a musical career, but struggled to enter the mainstream industry. He then turned to film and television, working in the mid-1980s for
WNET and as a location manager and personal bodyguard on the films ''
A Chorus Line'' (1985), ''
The Last Dragon'' (1985), ''
The Money Pit'' (1986), and ''
The Secret of My Success'' (1987). Facing both professional and personal difficulties, the couple decided to refocus their lives on the shared passions of astrology, tarot, and creativity.
Careers
Publishing
In the mid-1980s, Farber and Zerner decided to combine their interests in astrology, writing, and art into a publication. Farber's first book and card set, ''Karma Cards'', was published in 1988 by
Penguin Books and went on to sell over 300,000 copies worldwide.
Buoyed by this success, the couple collaborated on the next book, ''The Enchanted Tarot'', published by
St. Martin's Press in 1992; Farber provided the text, while Zerner spent 2 years creating the art.
The book was another major success, selling over 250,000 copies and being published throughout the world.
More books followed, which included the pair's self-help relationship guide ''Love, Light and Laughter'' (2002),
Farber's lifestyle guide ''Quantum Affirmations'' (2012),
and the astrology-based cookbook ''Signs & Seasons'' (2017).
In 2006, Farber and Zerner established a publication deal with
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
's imprint
Sterling Publishing
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. is a publisher of a broad range of subject areas, with multiple imprints and more than 5,000 titles in print. Founded in 1949 by David A. Boehm, Sterling also publishes books for a number of brands, including AAR ...
, leading the chain to establish dedicated shelves for the pair's books in all their stores.
The couple remained productive during the
COVID-19 pandemic, publishing 3 books in 2020–21.
The pair were the first astrologers to sell tarot card products on national television, with appearances on
QVC and
HSN starting in the 1990s. They also eagerly explored new technologies and mediums. Farber developed a tarot reading software application and exhibited at the
Consumer Electronics Show
CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...
in 1996,
and later served as a psychic contributor to the financial website ''
TheStreet'' from 2008 to 2010.
In 2020, Zerner and Farber hosted the online weekly talk show ''Ask the Oracles'' together with family friend
Jeff Pulver,
and in 2021, the couple had a cryptocurrency issued in their honor by the Rally.io platform.
In total, Farber and Zerner have had over 50 books published, as well as card decks, divination sets, and meditation CDs.
Art
Zerner's development as an artist continued after meeting Farber and gradually evolved into collage-based paintings on fabric; a process she mastered over a period of four years. In 1986, she received a
National Endowment for the Arts fellowship for her creative work in this style; the added recognition and sales allowed her to expand the scale and complexity of her work, including a large work for public display at the
City University of New York
The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...
.
Her first collaboration with Farber consisted of the illustrations for ''The Enchanted Tarot'' in 1992,
which were subsequently showcased as full tapestries.
Zerner has had solo and group exhibitions through the
Women's Caucus for Art (1983); on the campuses of
Eastern Kentucky University (1983),
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York system's ...
(1984),
Pacific Lutheran University (1988),
State University of New York at Plattsburgh (1989), and
Lebanon Valley College (1996); and at the
Parrish Art Museum (1984; work chosen for exhibition by
Audrey Flack
Audrey L. Flack (born May 30, 1931) is an American artist. Her work pioneered the art genre of photorealism and encompasses painting, sculpture, and photography.
Flack has numerous academic degrees, including both a graduate and an honorary doct ...
), the
East Hampton Center for Contemporary Art
The East Hampton Center for Contemporary Art (EHCCA) was a non-profit arts center and exhibition space located at 16R Newtown Lane in East Hampton, New York.
History
EHCCA was founded in 1985 by artists Susan Tepper and Jennifer Cross. Tepper ...
(1985),
the
Rubin Museum of Art (2010),
and the
University of North Texas ArtSpace Dallas (2015–16).
Fashion
Zerner's interest in fashion design dated back to her youth;
as a young adult, she continued to work with designs for accessories and props for the theatre. Following the awarding of her NEA grant, she moved into applying the same painting and construction techniques she used for her tapestries to articles of clothing. Zerner found that a particularly suitable medium for this style was the Tibetan panel coat of the style used for religious ceremonies; the central panel of the coat was ideal for decoration with silks, brocades, and other fabrics to compose metaphysical images.
In 1999, after being approached by New York-based
Bergdorf Goodman, Zerner was commissioned to produce 6 such pieces. This was followed by an order for 50 more by Bergdorf Goodman's parent firm,
Neiman Marcus, centering on depictions of goddesses and mythological themes. Subsequently, Zerner continued to produce art coats for Bergdorf Goodman and on commission from clients, with custom couture produced for
Simon Kirke,
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman.
LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul".
She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
,
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
,
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...
, and
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
.
Zerner has also produced jewelry for Bergdorf Goodman,
with examples worn by
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
and
Kylie Jenner
Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' from 2007 to 2021 and is the founder and owner of ...
.
Documentary film
In October 2022, independent film production company AMMO Entertainment and producer
Annmarie Sairrino
Annmarie Sairrino is an American film producer, development executive, and CEO of AMMO Entertainment. She is known for developing and producing film projects based on existing Japanese intellectual properties, including the horror film adaptatio ...
announced they would be producing a feature-length documentary film about Farber and Zerner, to be produced and released under the company's specialty label AMMO Select. The film will focus on the couple's creative career and be framed as a love story.
Sairrino will produce and direct the film. Production on the film began in late 2022, and the film's trailer and promotional poster were unveiled in January 2023 as part of an
Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to support the production and release of the film. The film's anticipated release is scheduled for late 2024.
Personal lives
Zerner and Farber live in East Hampton, New York in Zerner's childhood home.
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Zerner, Amy And Farber, Monte
1950 births
1951 births
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American non-fiction writers
20th-century American women artists
20th-century American women writers
20th-century astrologers
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American women artists
21st-century American women writers
21st-century astrologers
American astrologers
American astrological writers
American psychics
American self-help writers
American spiritual writers
American textile designers
American women fashion designers
American fashion designers
Living people
National Endowment for the Arts Fellows
Nautilus Book Award winners
New Age writers
People from Teaneck, New Jersey
Pratt Institute alumni
Tarotologists
Visionary artists
Writers from Brooklyn
Writing duos