I picked this up at the library in my frenzied pre-lockdown rush in March because I liked the cover and the title, without even glancing at the back. 2/3 of the way through Socialist Realism I still have no fucking idea what it's about or what the point is.

All the little paragraph-to-several-pages bits that Low stitches this book out of are 3 to 4 out of 5 stars, but in order to figure out what the relationship is between them you'd have to do a much more intensive close reading than I am willing to do. If I had a sense that it was all going to come together in a fascinating way that's more than the sum of its parts, well, maybe, but I'm not convinced of that at all.

I repeatedly had the thought that Resource Generation has answers to basically all the class issues that Low spends scattered paragraphs weakly bemoaning.

The exact same genre as [b:Time Is the Thing a Body Moves Through|42372517|Time Is the Thing a Body Moves Through|T Fleischmann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603210944l/42372517._SY75_.jpg|66029276] except longer and much less focused (and I wasn't that impressed by Time to start with), so if you're into that kind of thing, definitely go to town. ( )

When Trisha Low moves west, her journey is motivated by the need to arrive "somewhere better"--someplace utopian, like revolution; or safe, like home; or even clarifying, like identity. Instead, she faces the end of her relationships, a family whose values she has difficulty sharing, and America's casual racism, sexism, and homophobia. In this book-length essay, the problem of how to account for one's life comes to the fore--sliding unpredictably between memory, speculation, self-criticism, and art criticism, Low seeks answers that she knows she won't find. Attempting to reconcile her desires with her radical politics, she asks: do our quests to fulfill our deepest wishes propel us forward, or keep us trapped in the rubble of our deteriorating world?

Brilliant! A book I wished I would have written. Low is a deep and thoughtful writer, and her essay will make you think, question, and reflect in unanticipated ways. ( )

what to make of a life? im thankful to live in a time where trisha low tries to answer this question for us, modeling uncertainty in art, death, love, home (all inevitably exposed as one big clot that perils yet substantiates existence)--how to make sense of this world we occupy against all sanity & odds, to make sense of all one's urges & desires & missteps. &, too, the exhaustion of where one's from being so discordant w/ where one is or needs 2 b. trisha's writing on self-destructive urges is some of the best--no one else willing to air all of their flaws out so honestly in hopes that we might stumble upon some better understanding. to paraphrase adrienne rich, "these are the forces that ranged against us & within us " what can we build of our collective brokenness? can we find home w/in it? this is a book that shows how believing in the "maybe" keeps us from falling apart ( )

So this was an interesting read - this story is more of a journey/journal of the author Trisha Low. The story flips timelines with such ease that you feel as though you are in her mind. I was off kilter as I read this, the method of writing is very free flow but intentional - I really love how Trisha wove her experience with her love for art and film to balance out the narrative.

A strong recommendation for those looking for a homestyle coming of age story. ( )