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photographandread's review
5.0
I love him so reading his journals was a must. Oh boy, I loved it even more than I was expecting. A must read book for art lovers in general, not just Keith Haring fans. I love his reflections on life and art and the view of NY society in 1980-90, specially in LGBT+ and AIDS awareness. The part where it ends out of nowhere and then you read he dies (no spoilers there, right?) it's chilling. Always freaks me out to read such stuff.
zachybubu's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Keith Haring is not only a life filled with wonder and love but an artist who articulates themselves beautifully. This book is a treasure.
vyoung's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely incredible read! Whether or not you are an artist or know about art, you will enjoy this book. Being that is is Keith's journals, it read extremely personable and easy. There is a mixture of his philosophical ways of thinking and also some real moments, even with some humor! Related to the art world or not, Keith writes some hard truths and some introspective lines that will change your view of the day.
babs_wilgus's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I bought this book after seeing journals on display as part of the Haring exhibit at AGO in Toronto. This was the perfect start to 2024; inspiring, and also a reminder that time is precious and running out. If you want salacious gossip, these aren’t your journals to read (though, some of his petty squabbles are pretty funny). Rather, this is a genius at work- one of my favorite artists since childhood- documenting his craft and process with the full knowledge he won’t be around to tell these stories himself in the decades and decades to come. I loved it. I learned from it.
mx_mistoffolees's review against another edition
Need to return it to the library. Could be fun but is slow. Wouldve probs given it like 3-3.5 stars?
vampirehelpdesk's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Keith Haring is my favorite artist, so it was really a great experience getting to glimpse inside his mind for awhile. My big takeaway is Haring always adored children, and I think it would maybe honor his memory to share that I loved him ever since I was four and saw his art for A Very Special Christmas. I loved (and love) how cartoon-y and bold his work is. Now through this, I know he created that cover with all the proceeds going to the special Olympics and that he wanted more than anything to make children smile. Makes me cry just thinking about it. A life too short for a legacy so great.
robindallav's review
4.0
This was really a really interesting memoir (diary) in that it covered such a large period of time over a person's life, from when he was in University right up until his death. Not only do you learn a lot about Haring himself, but about the time period that he lived in through his political and social engagements. There is a lot in the book about the politics of art, particularly of Pop Art and how it is viewed by the rest of the art community. Towards the latter half of the book it goes into the AIDS epidemic that was occurring at the time, and his own battle with the disease which is very poignant but also heartbreaking, not only because of Haring's own eventual death, but reading about his reactions to all of the people around him that he sees dying. All in all a very interesting read.
nagu13's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my favorite books, I go back to it frequently. As its written in journal entries, it is easy to read in fragments or as a whole. A great piece of work and an invaluable insight to Keith Haring’s thoughts and growth as an artist.