A Blackened Chicken Soup for the Artistic Soul
Passion, humiliation, and depravity are the cornerstones of the artistic spirit. How else to rationalize one's deliberate choice to face a life of unsigned rejection letters, calls from worried parents and collection agencies, and cups and cups of ramen noodles? Being a noble artiste is a rough gig. It's one part denial, one part masochism. And it gets all the respect of being a fry cook, without the convenient minimum wage. Only a fool would agree to such soul crushing -- until now.
The Starving Artist's Survival Guide boldly reassures both the dreamer and the doer that you are not alone. Regardless of whether you are a painter, a poet, a musician, a writer, an actor, or simply paralyzed by an English lit or fine arts degree, help has arrived. Topics include the pros and cons of various artistic day jobs ("People love clowns, except for the 80 percent who want to beat them up and the 20 percent who do"), coping with form-letter rejections through the healing power of haikus ("You, blinking red light, / A call back from my agent? / No, just goddamn Mom"), a survey of artists' dwellings (from the romanticized loft to Mama's rent-free attic), and most important, "Holding On: Ten Good Reasons to Keep Your Head out of the Oven."
Both celebrating and satirizing the pretentious poor, The Starving Artist's Survival Guide recognizes that the best way to cope with self-inflicted poverty is with unbarred humor, not macramé and coupon clipping.
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Marianne Taylor is a writer and editor, with a lifelong interest in science and nature. After seven years working for book and magazine publishers, she took the leap into the freelance world, and has since written ten books on wildlife, science and general natural history. She is also an illustrator and keen photographer, and when not at her desk or out with her camera she enjoys running, practicing aikido, and helping out at the local cat rescue center.
Born from dreary conversation about the artist's plight, Taylor and Lindrop's handbook is brimming with useful tips and delightfully rueful observations for struggling artists who "have slept in closets . . and haven't been to the dentist since the Clinton administration." Rejection dogs most artists'heels, so this handy little manual appropriately starts with that, categorizing the various types of rejection letters from the "don't even bother" to the "apologetic diss," most of which end with subscription pitches adding insult to injury. For those whose art manages to actually see the light of day, a section on reviews and critics (from "gonzo" to "cannibal") helpfully includes suggestions on how supportive friends can provide encouragement to the skewered artist--that is, claiming that "taste is a relative thing." The authors'breezy wit and ironic observations may actually help those dressed in hot dog suits and handing out flyers to pay the rent on infested walk-ups next to crack houses feel less isolated and more empowered--or at least more inclined to laughter. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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