Peripatetic adventures of a struggling young artist. Celebrated playwright Berman (Hunting and Gathering, 2008, etc.) recounts her early years in New York City seeking the artist's life, love and suitable lodgings. Student dorms, sublets, roach-infested walk-ups, parentally-funded "princess" apartments, couch surfing-the author explored seemingly every permutation of New York real estate as she pursued a classic bohemian existence as a fledgling performer and writer. As the product of a complicated home life, Berman's rootlessness was spiritual as well as physical, and much of the author's self-analysis is couched in New Age terms, with much emphasis on "healing" and "light." Chronically broke, she still managed to find funds for various metaphysical advisors, who counseled her to burn sage in a new living space and consult a Tarot card reader, ostensibly ludicrous advice that perhaps seemed worthwhile in the savage trenches of the Manhattan apartment market. Real darkness enters Berman's memoir in the forms of a traumatic rape that left the author sleepless and paralyzed with fear, and a boyfriend institutionalized for mental illness. She rallied, however, juggling multiple jobs, a diffident younger boyfriend and constant housing crises as she made headway in the theater scene and, triumphantly, was finally invited to join Juilliard's prestigious drama program. Readers will applaud Berman's pluck, but the litany of troublesome roommates, petty arguments, quotidian hassles, artists' workshops and retreats and self-pitying maternal phone calls becomes tedious, as do the author's monumental self-absorption and devotion to dubious spiritual pursuits. Berman certainly struggled to reach ameasure of security and success, but the struggle was a rather ordinary one, untransformed here by the dramatist's art. A candid remembrance that fails as a compelling narrative. Author events and interviews out of New York. Agent: Swanna MacNair/Fletcher & Company
Humorous, poignant, and honest, No Place Like Home is the story of one woman's journey to feel settled without settling, and her realization that home is much more than an address.
Brooke Berman moved to New York as a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old eager to call the big city home. Candid, funny, and thoughtful, in No Place Like Home, we follow Brooke's adventures as she crisscrosses town trying to make ends meet and make her dreams of a life in the theater come true.
With each apartment, from the heavenly to the horrible, she learns more about how to heal the past, let go of excess, and keep a sense of humor while trying to stay flexible in the search for stability. No Place Like Home reminds everyone of the age-old struggle not just to find a house, but to build a true home.
The author has included a new introduction written especially for this audiobook.
Humorous, poignant, and honest, No Place Like Home is the story of one woman's journey to feel settled without settling, and her realization that home is much more than an address.
Brooke Berman moved to New York as a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old eager to call the big city home. Candid, funny, and thoughtful, in No Place Like Home, we follow Brooke's adventures as she crisscrosses town trying to make ends meet and make her dreams of a life in the theater come true.
With each apartment, from the heavenly to the horrible, she learns more about how to heal the past, let go of excess, and keep a sense of humor while trying to stay flexible in the search for stability. No Place Like Home reminds everyone of the age-old struggle not just to find a house, but to build a true home.
The author has included a new introduction written especially for this audiobook.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940173048745 |
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Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
Publication date: | 07/06/2021 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
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