The Andy Warhol Diaries by Andy Warhol, Pat Hackett
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Book Reviews of The Andy Warhol Diaries
Book Review: I've Been "Glued" for Weeks!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Went home lonely and despondent because nobody loves me and it's Easter, and I cried." [4-17-81] When I reached that line in the diaries, I think I truly fell in love with Andy. He was a total observer of life and pierced a depth of feeling in his aloneness. He seemed to be a walking nerve and picked up every nuance of life and all the personalities surrounding him.
His observations about people were uncanny - and he was like a prophet in many ways, even at one point predicting his own death! He knew things about people that they probably didn't know about themselves.
For instance his glib comment after the death of Elvis Presley in 1977, "They're saying that the article Caroline Kennedy did on the Elvis funeral for Rolling Stone made fun of the local people, but I can understand that--Caroline's really intelligent and the people down there really were dumb. Elvis never knew there were more interesting people" [8-30-77] - honing in on exactly what killed Elvis!
Or when he mentioned Michael Jackson's penchant for young boys - and that was 1984!
His diaries are so revealing and so easy to read and he really makes us understand all the modes of the counterculture that revolved around his life - the music, the artists, the movie stars... and how self-absorbed they all were. And how caught up in drugs and drink some of them became.
Although Andy was obviously anorexic and somewhat alcoholic (he hated to drink yet it seemed he drank almost every day) he was constantly trying to improve himself and he wrestled with his physical self and all his insecurities every day of his life. Yet he was of strong mind and his beliefs were never swayed. And he wasn't afraid to make his feelings and opinions known. Yet his life was always overshadowed by his fear of death and disease. And he was insecure about his looks, yet managed to start a modeling career in his early '50s!
He was such a 'cat'! "There was a party at the Statue of Liberty, but I'd already read publicity of me going to it so I felt it was done already." [7-5-83] He invented his own language and way of communicating, which was very colourful and made every moment interesting. His diaries are a sensual feast; he lived life to its fullest and was able to describe all the flavors of the food and drink, the odors and scents of people and places, in such a way that the reader feels as though he/she is reliving it all.
What impressed me most about Andy was his great discipline and ability to admit to his own shortcomings. He got up every day and went to work like it was a nine-to-five job, went to church every Sunday, and stayed in tune with all that was going on in the world around him. If Andy were alive today, he'd love the Internet, e-mail and cell phones. For he was a man about the world, truly in love with life and all that it has to offer.
I just wished the diaries included an index.
Book Review: Ephemera made solid
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm going to need a new copy of the Andy Warhol Diaries in a year or two. The binding on my current copy is really creased from periodic re-examinations. For me, the highpoints of this book are in the 1977 - late 1978 sections, and the early 80s (1982 - 1984). There seemed to be a constant energy in the entries in those years.
Prior to Steve Rubell's (owner of Studio 54) arrest for tax evasion, the entries were dominated by descriptions of New York City nightlife and name dropping. In 1982, there seemed to be a renaissance of social activity, albeit tempered, with a new group of regulars (Chris Makos and his boyfriend Peter, Jon Gould, etc.). AIDS was originally referred to as "gay cancer." What is striking me most in this re-reading of the Diaries is how much has been left out. There are a lot of gaps, especially when it comes to Warhol's personal relationships. For an overview of NYC's nightlife and artworld circa 1977 - early 1987, this book is essential. Social and popular culture historians will delight at Warhol's wry observations of celebrities and superstars in his immediate sphere. I remember when this book was first published, without an index. That was, in retrospect, a public relations coup. People were forced to comb through the volume to see who merited a mention.
Sadly, many of the Diary's notables came to a bad end: Andy himself died unexpectedly - and prematurely - after gall bladder surgery in February 1987. Jed Johnson died in the TWA plane crash in 1996. Steve Rubell, Jon Gould, Robert Hayes, Keith Haring, Halston, and so many others died of complications from AIDS. Jean-Michel Basquiat died from a drug overdose. Truman Capote died, relatively young, after decades of alcohol and drug abuse. Berry Berenson (Marisa Berenson's sister and one-time wife of Anthony Perkins) died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Despite the "gaps" I referred to previously, this volume is a remarkably fluid, entertaining document spanning a ten-year period. Pat Hackett did an admirable job in compiling and editing this massive tome into a readable, fascinating, and enduring pop-culture history. Warhol describes creating "time capsules," where he would throw items dating from a certain year into a box and then storing it for years before opening it again. Invariably, upon opening the time capsule, he would become transfixed in its contents. That is what this book is like at its best.
If you are at all interested in Warhol's work -- either as artist or observer -- this book is a must. Given its size and scope, this is not a book you will read from cover to cover, but, rather, one to be skimmed through, referred to again and again, and enjoyed each time you do. Warhol emerges as an immensely likable figure: funny, whimsical, shy, insecure, and very smart, despite his disingenuous protestations to the contrary.
Book Review: Mordant, heartbreaking, exhilarating... a must!
Summary: 5 Stars
A fantastic look inside the head of one of the world's biggest mysteries! And the guide is none other than the man himself.Under the platinum fright-wig, there was a swiss-made machinery that went on 24/7. This is a description of Andy's last 9 years. At times funny and piquant, at others annoying, it offers the closest thing to an autobiography there ever will be about both man & myth.
A veritable who's who and who's what (and where) of this era is there in vivid detail. From the '54 days, to Bianca and Mick's ugly split, John Lennon's murder which left Warhol aghast, to Truman Capote's passing which made him cry. Phone chats with First Ladies and litterbugs, crushes on rock stars, celebrity weddings and celebrity parties, taxi bills (oh, how he kept track of money!), loneliness in crowds and funny, catty comment on friends and foes alike with the deadpan charm that was his trademark.
This is a most precious document on pop culture and history, as seen through the eyes and lenses of a man who was gifted with talent and was virtuous enough to be totally observant.
Read it and keep it forever!
Book Review: warhol's thoughts in the disco & business eras
Summary: 5 Stars
the Andy Warhol Diaries. 900 pages. 1976-1987. the closest look ever at warhol's actual thought processes, opinions & speech pattern. Not the shy,. fumbling public affectation of decades of interviews. Actual day to day diary entries dictated by andy of the last 12 years of his life. backdrop: the 70s disco/studio 54 era; then the 80s art/business explosion & various losses in andy's personal life. Anyone who lived through these years, particularly in nyc and /or the nightlife and art worlds, will find so many events they recall in their memory. Warhol'd depictions of friends & various celebrities are candid, frank, brutal, humorous. This is the closest you will ever get to Andy's real feelings thoughts tone & expression. Its a bit of a committment- it must be read chronologically, it took me just over a month to read all 900 pages. but it was vastly rewarding & the insight into the real warhol is priceless; also if you were alive in this time you will reflect upon your own journey during 1976-1987. the portraits of just halston, bianca jagger & basquiat drawn alone are worth the 900 pages. rating: A
Book Review: Gossip and More Gossip about the fabulous 70s and 80s
Summary: 5 Stars
Fascinating tales from the horses mouth. Andy dictated his diary to Pat Hackett at 9:30 am daily from whereever he was in the world. It started out as an expense account diary, but it turned into gossipy dish about the wild times in the Warhol world of the 70s and 80s. One can almost hear Andy speaking the words in his low, whiney voice. Some parts are very very funny, other parts make you want to cry. Andy was a lost soul and it comes through very clearly in his quest for acceptance. This book is large, trimmed down from 20,000 original diary pages, but still too large for a quick read. It almost takes extra time to read the diaries, a lot cannot be absorbed all at once. It is best ingested and enjoyed in small doses. It is really a delight and full of naughty fun