REBELLIOUS

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.