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The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

Review

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone

In her previous book, THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING, Olivia Laing traced the lives and works of six American authors of the 20th century, all of whom were heavy drinkers --- all while interrogating her own history with alcohol. In her new work, THE LONELY CITY, Laing again constructs a fascinating blend of personal history, biography and cultural criticism, this time exploring the concept of loneliness in the urban environment by examining the life and work of visual artists, both familiar and less so.

Laing opens her investigation with a consideration of the paradox of feeling lonely in the city, an environment in which one is constantly surrounded by other people. But, as she points out, loneliness is more about connection (or lack thereof) than it is about physical proximity. And, in some ways, being a constant witness to the lives of others who seem more connected than you yourself are can actually exacerbate the sensation of feeling alone. She also ponders the relatively recent finding of loneliness as a topic worthy of consideration by philosophers and psychologists. She lands on a working definition of loneliness as developed by psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan: “the exceedingly unpleasant and driving experience connected with inadequate discharge of the need for human intimacy.”

"Once again, Laing proves herself to be a thoughtful companion for readers interested in thinking deeply about the human condition in all its richness and imperfection."

Laing then turns to consider the role of loneliness in the life and work of four American visual artists: painter Edward Hopper, pop artist Andy Warhol, photographer David Wojnarowicz and outsider artist Henry Darger. In each case, she considers how loneliness informed and manifested itself in each artist’s work, exploring if and how the phenomenon of loneliness actually enabled the process of creation.

Although the work of Hopper and Warhol may be familiar to most readers, Laing still includes elements of their biography that may be surprising to many. And readers may be less familiar with her other subjects, including the fascinating story of Darger, whose vast body of work was discovered in his Chicago apartment only after the reclusive self-taught artist had died. She also considers the role of loneliness and art in the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, as well as interrogating the contemporary phenomenon of loneliness and the internet, of being simultaneously connected and disconnected.

As she explores this rich body of material, Laing also intersperses stories of others with her own story, writing frankly about a period of her life during which she experienced profound loneliness while residing in New York City after a failed romantic relationship, living in some cases just steps away from the subjects about which she writes. As she considers their history, she comes to terms with her own loneliness and the particular challenges of being alone in the city, writing about her experience, for example, of attending a Halloween parade and wishing she could hide behind a mask to conceal her shame and discomfort at being alone.

In the end, Laing realizes that this project itself --- the process of “handling the things that other people had made,” rather than the more conventional solutions of “meeting someone or by falling in love” --- is what has allowed her to mitigate her loneliness, to recognize that the feeling of loneliness is a reminder that one is alive. Once again, Laing proves herself to be a thoughtful companion for readers interested in thinking deeply about the human condition in all its richness and imperfection.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl on March 4, 2016

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone
by Olivia Laing

  • Publication Date: March 1, 2016
  • Genres: Cultural Studies, Memoir, Nonfiction
  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Picador
  • ISBN-10: 1250039576
  • ISBN-13: 9781250039576