Lonely City: Exercises in the Art of Loneliness

At over thirty, Olivia Laing moved to New York due to a romantic relationship, ultimately finding herself alone in a vast, foreign city. This most shameful life experience captivated her more and more, and she began to explore the lonely city through art. Analyzing the works of Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi, Henry Darger, and David Wojnarowicz, the acclaimed essayist and critic examines exercises in the art of loneliness, deconstructs its images, and investigates the socio-psychological nature of alienation. Humble, audacious, and deeply poignant, "Lonely City" is a book about the spaces between people, about the things that connect individuals, about sexuality, morality, and the miraculous possibilities of art. This exploration of the unknown and enchanting state, detached from the vast continent of human life experience, is deeply intrinsic to life as such.