Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness
Kristen Radtke
From the acclaimed author of Imagine Wanting Only This--a timely and moving meditation on isolation and longing, both as individuals and as a society. There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness. Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood, loneliness is everywhere, from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns. In Seek You, Kristen Radtke's wide-ranging exploration of our inner lives and public selves, Radtke digs into the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another, and the distance that remains. Through the lenses of gender and violence, technology and art, Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing, and shares what feels impossible to share. Ranging from the invention of the laugh-track to the rise of Instagram, the bootstrap-pulling cowboy to the brutal experiments of Harry Harlow, Radtke investigates why we engage with each other, and what we risk when we turn away. With her distinctive, emotionally charged drawings and deeply empathetic prose, Kristen Radtke masterfully shines a light on some of our most vulnerable and sublime moments, and asks how we might keep the spaces between us from splitting entirely.
I've long felt that loneliness is rampant, and I think it's hard for people to detect in others and also to identify within themselves. I think the pandemic's isolation made people have to confront themselves more, and realize how much we desire companionship and the nearness of others. I feel there was such a push over last... few decades to promote independence, self-sufficiency, drive, climbing of social and corporate ladders, girl bossification, etc. I think there are A LOT of people who have a very small group of friends or people around them, and who long for more connection and interaction.
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This book is a rumination on the topic of loneliness, and a compilation of research done by the author. I found it to be hard-hitting and to have a few good quotes, though there are hard topics covered that could be triggers for some: depression, animal abuse (in the name of scientific research). From a structural standpoint, there were some issues in the composition and flow of this book from topic to topic, but I still think it's worth the read! I've long felt that loneliness is rampant, and I think it's hard for people to detect in others and also to identify within themselves. I think the pandemic's isolation made people have to confront themselves more, and realize how much we desire companionship and the nearness of others.
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