All the Lives I Want

Paperback, 256 pages

Published Feb. 6, 2018 by Grand Central Publishing.

ISBN:: 978-1-4555-6586-3

(2 reviews)

"From columnist and critic Alana Massey, a collection of essays examining the intersection of the personal with pop culture through the lives of pivotal female figures--from Sylvia Plath to Britney Spears--in the spirit of Chuck Klosterman, with the heart of a true fan. Mixing Didion's affected cool with moments of giddy celebrity worship, Massey examines the lives of the women who reflect our greatest aspirations and darkest fears back onto us. These essays are personal without being confessional and clever in a way that invites readers into the joke. A cultural critique and a finely wrought fan letter, interwoven with stories that are achingly personal, All the lives I want is also an exploration of mental illness, the sex industry, and the dangers of loving too hard. But it is, above all, a paean to the celebrities who have shaped a generation of women--from Scarlett Johansson to Amber Rose, Lil' …

"From columnist and critic Alana Massey, a collection of essays examining the intersection of the personal with pop culture through the lives of pivotal female figures--from Sylvia Plath to Britney Spears--in the spirit of Chuck Klosterman, with the heart of a true fan. Mixing Didion's affected cool with moments of giddy celebrity worship, Massey examines the lives of the women who reflect our greatest aspirations and darkest fears back onto us. These essays are personal without being confessional and clever in a way that invites readers into the joke. A cultural critique and a finely wrought fan letter, interwoven with stories that are achingly personal, All the lives I want is also an exploration of mental illness, the sex industry, and the dangers of loving too hard. But it is, above all, a paean to the celebrities who have shaped a generation of women--from Scarlett Johansson to Amber Rose, Lil' Kim, Anjelica Huston, Lana Del Rey, Anna Nicole Smith and many more. These reflections aim to reimagine these women's legacies, and in the process, teach us new ways of forgiving ourselves"--

2 editions

urn reviewed All the Lives I Want by Alana Massey

Review of 'All the Lives I Want' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

Hit many uber-specific cultural touchstones that resonated with me deeply. Her tone is just right - not too casual, not too confessional. A few essays suffering from an excess of quotations (sorry, Sylvia Plath), but the collection was very strong as a whole and achieved its project wonderfully.

Still, at the end of the day, it's hard to read about people's abusive relationships and eating disorders, even if they're amazing writers (which Alana certainly is).

kab

rated it

Sep 5