Unconventional love story of a celebrated graffiti artist in 70/80’s New York who burns out on his stairway to fame from a heroin overdose.
Notes/Thoughts📝
I read this book when I was in a sour mood so the interesting part is how your feelings can colour the storyline/characters etc, especially if the text is more interpretative. Because the sub-heading of the book was “A Love Story” 1) I was expecting more romance 2) I knew there were drugs involved because this was chosen for work book club, but I was low-key depressed with the frequency which drugs were mentioned (I guess I’m just too wholesome 👼). I would have to read this book again in a better mood to see if I would feel differently.
One of my favourite things about famous people memoirs is name-dropping. There’s Keith Haring, then there’s Madonna and you’re like The Madonna?!!! It’s fascinating how they’re just regular people like us trying to make it through the day. Reflecting on the poetic meter in the book, fragmented thoughts work well because we search subconsciously for “truth/honesty” but our inner world isn’t immediately understood by others. Memoirs present a raw, sharp edge to peak over and see all the fears, dreams, and bizarre events that a person would only divulge to a close friend or the depths of a secret diary. Memoirs are seductive because of the closeness to the heart, to truth. I can appreciate how the writing style was quite different from other memoirs I’ve read where the writing was more organized for the reader.
Dua Lipa’s Services Book Club interview with Clement made it clear that I glazed over some intentional literary decisions by the author. Here’s the link in case you want to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqV_oawG7A4
Not sure what’s happening this year but second book with the word ‘Widow’ in the title….
“Quotes”🗣
“You know, I kept no souvenirs. I did now want to be tourist in my own life.”
“I realized that a book can reach out and embrace you like an arm and make you walk away from everything you thought you understood.”
“You can leave but you can always come back. You can live here again. Life can be a circle, not just a line.“
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