POPism: The Warhol Sixties

Rating:
Summary: The Coolest Book!
Review: This engaging and fast-moving book chronicles the incredible rise of 60's pop culture and it's devastating conlusion as the key mover of the New York Pop art scene describes in ironic, humourous and incredibly sad detail. There are lots of bodies in the wake of Warhol's rise to American iconography. It's facinating and incredible. Pat Hackett has to be one of the most talented writers around to have been able to compile Andy's story in such a way that it's only his authentic voice that you hear as you read any of the books that she collaborated on. It's well worth the price of admission!

Rating:
Summary: the king of pop
Review: well, this book was actually written by warhol (and some other discarded somebody else) and is a year-by-year account of all the significant things that went on in andy's life from 1960-1969. 60-69 were by far the most wild and experimental years of both POP art and in the life of andy warhol...it marks both the BEGINNING of POP art and of andy as we know him. this book is an incredibly easy read and flows like a gossipy telephone conversation. there are sparks of cleverness and quips and fun anecdotes complete with name-dropping and mod-theatrics hey-day nostalgia. however, by the end of the book, one is left somewhat unsatisfied, in that andy, in all his aloofness and sphinxism, actually reveals not much of his inner self and, when he seems to, one might applaud the revelation and beg for more, only to get one piece of gossip after the other. i think, however, the book is still quite enjoyable despite its lack of insight, revelation and overt journal quality. but, POP is not about insight, revelation or even aestheticism; one gets a true sense of andy and POPism in immersing oneself in andy's bird's eye descriptions of each "happening" and hearsay. overall, the wink-on-the-sly tone of the book and its phone-gossip detail gives one a comforting but disingenuous feeling of being included in a snobby girl's clique. i would recommend this book to anyone looking for a little fun and just wants to read up on exactly what happened during the POP revolution from the guy who let the cat out of the bag.

Rating:
Summary: The Good News of Andy Warhol
Review: Why wait for others to come along years later to write your Gospels? With Pat Hackett, Andy got out the Word.

If you've only read what others wrote about Warhol, you might be surprised to learn here to what extent the others seem to be using "Popism" as a source. You may wish you'd saved the money you spent on the other accounts. Few seem to present Warhol as well as he and Pat did.

It is to be wondered how many of the biographers and critics understood him. This guy who "lacked social skills" but somehow during the 60's seemed to have 10-20 friends with him whenever he went out for dinner shows in "Popism" what an extraordinary social magnet AND social observer he was. Sex and drugs and rock n' roll rarely get pushed this far.

"Popism" is surprising conventional in form, however unusual the people it describes. It flows easily. It is among the best publicity of Warhol and his circle. There's a helpful 8 page index of the people mentioned. To name a few: Brigid Polk, International Velvet, John Cale, Ultra Violet, Jackie Curtis, Joe Dallesandro, Candy Darling, Duchess, Baby Jane Holzer, Fred Hughes, Gerard Malanga, Mario Montez, Paul Morrissey, Billy Name, Nico, Ondine, Lou Reed, Edie Sedgwick, Ingrid Superstar, and Viva. You may never have been to The Factory, never seen a Warhol movie, never even seen a Warhol silkscreen, never heard Velvet Underground music, but, if you read "Popism" you'll feel like you know all these people and more.

Warhol's description of being shot and his recovery is especially fascinating. How was he able to be so objective? Andy and Pat are among the best storytellers.

After reading this book, treat yourself to watching "I Shot Andy Warhol" for another good presentation of what this scene may have been like.

Warhol lives.

Rating:
Summary: Poptastic
Review: With some 300 pages of prime slice Warholian gossip this book serves as an indespensible guide to the New York "Pop" scene and the Factory life of the sixties. Though written with aegis of co author Bob Hackett the essence of Andy- detached, voyeuristic, amoral/asexual, and humourous in his own dryly monosyllabic way- shines through on every page. Mildly autobiographical, thoroughly entertaining, and like the subject it describes; utterly disposable, this book is indescribaly essential reading material for the true Warhola fanatic. Yum.

Rating:
Summary: The Coolest Book!
Review: With some 300 pages of prime slice Warholian gossip this book serves as an indespensible guide to the New York "Pop" scene and the Factory life of the sixties. Though written with aegis of co author Bob Hackett the essence of Andy- detached, voyeuristic, amoral/asexual, and humourous in his own dryly monosyllabic way- shines through on every page. Mildly autobiographical, thoroughly entertaining, and like the subject it describes; utterly disposable, this book is indescribaly essential reading material for the true Warhola fanatic. Yum.