An honest, inspiring behind-the-scenes look into the highs and lows of an artist’s life.
From “sissy” to social justice warrior.
Many teens feel an urge to rebel—and some transform their rage and restlessness into art. Long’s biography of American artist and counterculture legend Keith Haring (1958-1990) tells the story of a boy who shoplifted, drank alcohol, smoked pot, and ran away from home as a high schooler before growing into a man who used his paintings to expose the harm caused by nuclear weapons, racism, police brutality, drug addiction, and the AIDS epidemic. Each of the 12 chapters is built around and opens with one of his iconic works. The author does a good job of introducing readers to Haring’s childlike style, explaining the significance of recurring motifs and tracing the influence of music on his art. What makes this book special is its expansive heart: Long doesn’t judge his subject for his human failings, but he doesn’t shy away from exploring critical interpretations of Haring’s work and charges of cultural appropriation as a white person who profited from brown and Black people’s cultures and claimed that “inside he was not white.” Still, the focus is primarily on Haring’s commitment to social justice. This work will speak to many teenagers who are struggling to love themselves. During hostile times, Haring was an out and proud gay man who made art for ordinary people who were ignored by the art world.
Pub Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 9781324083948
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future.
An adaptation for teens of the adult title A Queer History of the United States (2011).
Divided into thematic sections, the text filters LGBTQIA+ history through key figures in each era from the 1500s to the present. Alongside watershed moments like the 1969 Stonewall uprising and the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the text brings to light less well-known people, places, and events: the 1625 free love colony of Merrymount, transgender Civil War hero Albert D.J. Cashier, and the 1951 founding of the Mattachine Society, to name a few. Throughout, the author and adapter take care to use accurate pronouns and avoid imposing contemporary terminology onto historical figures. In some cases, they quote primary sources to speculate about same-sex relationships while also reminding readers of past cultural differences in expressing strong affection between friends. Black-and-white illustrations or photos augment each chapter. Though it lacks the teen appeal and personable, conversational style of Sarah Prager’s Queer, There, and Everywhere (2017), this textbook-level survey contains a surprising amount of depth. However, the mention of transgender movements and activism—in particular, contemporary issues—runs on the slim side. Whereas chapters are devoted to over 30 ethnically diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer figures, some trans pioneers such as Christine Jorgensen and Holly Woodlawn are reduced to short sidebars.
Though not the most balanced, an enlightening look back for the queer future. (glossary, photo credits, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8070-5612-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Beacon Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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