The Andy Warhol Diaries

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.

For centuries, the world of visual art was filled with mythical giants, people whose genius was not revealed to the world until long after said person's demise or people whose genius so overwhelmed others that no one dared get close to the figure. Thankfully, Andy Warhol was neither of those two types of artists. And the world knows this due to the IRS, a woman who originally just wanted a little excitement in her life, and a man who refused to censor himself.Andy Warhol was a lifelong Democrat who criticized the Nixon administration, thus sparking a series of intense IRS audits. To help make these audits easier, he and his then-assistant Pat Hackett began cataloguing his daily expenses and saving every single receipt he received. This grew into a routine that lasted long after Hackett stopped officially working for Warhol, through phone conversations and taped recordings. Warhol would inject bits of his everyday life into the financial chatter and he and Hackett became close friends and confidants. Approximately two years after Warhol's passing, Hackett compiled all of her notes together, made it into a cohesive whole, and published it as The Andy Warhol Diaries. And the Warhol fan should silently thank Hackett every day for this.Because of the intimate friendship these two people enjoyed, the reader is able to get a more personal, more vulnerable view of one of the art world's most original and celebrated figures. By devouring the pages of this easily readable text, one can understand that for all the glitz and glamour associated with this artist's public persona, his private life was actually not that much different from that of the "average" American. He went to work, he paid his bills, he interacted with his friends, he tried to navigate the tricky world of love and romance, and experienced the same level of disappointments, setbacks, rejection, and confusion as that of any other human being in the post-industrial world.Though that isn't to say that Warhol's life was completely devoid of the glitter that seemed to shine on the surface. To delve into the diaries is to escape into the celebrity-filled world of Manhattan in the 1970s and 1980s, where one could bump into Jacqueline Onassis, Bianca Jagger, Diane von Furstenburg, or a massive array of other celebrities, all of whom Warhol had at least brief encounters with. Warhol did live what some might describe as a jet set lifestyle, flying off here and there to do promotional work, to attend various events held in his honor, to work with some new art patron of his, or on occasion to just relax and interact with his friends, both famous and non-famous. But he was by no means a spendthrift; indeed, many passages in the diaries indicate his desire to save money or to invest it, not wishing to squander his money away and return to the life he had as a child in a poor immigrant family. So his jet-set lifestyle did have its limits and he did end up spending a tremendous amount of time

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!

If you ever wanted to know what the New York state of mind was in the 1970s and 1980s, then this book is for you. Andy Warhol lived at the center of the "beautiful people" in the New York club/celebrity scene, from his Factory to Studio 54 and seemingly everywhere else. From hustlers and porn stars to the Hollywood glitterati and political movers and shakers, Warhol dictated it all to his diarist, Pat Hackett, who distilled it from 20,000 pages into this huge book. You will be shocked, you will be amused and you will see why there was only one Andy Warhol -- the artist and pop culturist who took a "New York" minute and turned it into 15 minutes of bizarre fame. Don't miss out on this book!

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