Rebellious: The Story of Keith Haring in 12 Pictures

by Michael G. Long

A riveting biography of Keith Haring that centers his life, politics, and activism around twelve of his most significant paintings.


As an artist and activist, one theme remained a constant throughout Keith Haring’s rebellion. In this young adult biography, acclaimed author Michael G. Long examines Haring’s upbringing and career through this hosting queer people and people of color at high-art gallery openings; refusing to use mediums and art styles that his professors required; coming out as a gay man and exploring his sexual experiences through his art; drawing guerilla-style on the New York subway; and painting in protest of nuclear weaponry, police brutality, racism, the spread of crack cocaine, and, most famously, the AIDS epidemic.


With each chapter anchored by an iconic work of Haring’s art, Rebellious is a pacy, energetic, and accessible look at Keith Haring’s unconventional life and how his paintings shaped and reflected the world around him—and how they still resonate today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Art, LGBT

242 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2026

Reviews

[YSBR]

An appealing and accessible biography of the pop artist Keith Haring, told through 12 of his iconic images. Michael Long traces Haring’s creative development, from his childhood fascination with drawing, Disney, and rebellion, to his work as a street artist and life as a gay man in New York in the 1970s and 80s. At 6” square and 200 pages long, the book’s eye-catching format and hand-held size will speak to teens interested in something a bit rebellious and odd. Each chronological section opens with one recognizable piece of art and then walks us through a corresponding chapter in the artist’s life. Sometimes the art was created during that time period but it can also serve a more symbolic role; for example, the first chapter features one of Haring’s famous “Radiant Baby” images and then proceeds to explore his childhood. Other periods covered include Haring’s subway graffiti stint, his obsession with music, his special fondness for working with children and schools, and his activism for causes such as nuclear disarmament, racial justice, drug awareness, and, of course, the AIDS crisis. 

Teens will appreciate Long’s honesty about Haring’s life, which included plenty of recreational drug use, sexual experimentation, and eventually, an AIDS diagnosis. Long clearly admires Haring’s creativity and activism, but he is candid about Haring’s flouting of norms. He also carefully considers philosophical questions about the artist’s work — for example, whether Haring’s art appropriated the styles of Black and Brown creators, why he seemed to receive more leeway as a graffiti artist than his BIPOC peers, and what artistic legacy he ultimately left behind. Much is made of the irony that museum shops eagerly sold Haring-themed merchandise while long (and in some cases still) resisted accepting his work into the canon. Long’s writing is inviting and inquisitive while maintaining an air of authority, a perfect blend for this age group. Although the book is subtitled “...in 12 Pictures”, it actually includes far more visuals, with lots of sharp, interesting photographs and drawings and writing from Haring’s sketchbooks and journals. Back matter includes suggested books for further research, a timeline of Haring’s life, notes for all the quotes in the book (though they are oddly indexed by page number, rather than with either numbered footnotes or using MLA formatting), extensive image credits, and an index. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Alicia]

I would disagree that this is best-suited for a YA audience between some of the content as well as the focus which isn't about the 12 pictures and wrapping a story around them that is about Keith Haring. It's not a straight biography either. It's a little about his art. And it's a lot about rebelliousness (but the softness especially that he felt around kids and creating art). It suffers from a lack of direction and message because it's a little of everything with plenty of focus on his personal life and less about the rebel artist and creative that he was. I would have liked the pictures to be more prominent and better contextualized.

[Sherrie]

This book will be released on June 4, 2026. I was able to read an advance reviewers copy thanks to Edelweiss. This is listed as a young adult biography of Keith Haring, but I would skew it towards the upper end of young adult (11th-12th grade) and also recommend it for adult readers with an interest in Keith Haring’s work. The book is 264 pages and yet I tore through it in a day. As a teen in the 80’s, I have a significant interest in Keith Haring but I learned a great deal from this biography.

[Christian Davell]

Thank you Norton Young Readers for this Advanced Copy. This was a great biography of a modern artist that not everyone is aware of but many know of his work. Keith Haring is known for his fun and colorful murals of dancing figures but he lived such a rich life. This biography unapologetically looks at Haring’s personal and professional lives and adds context for readers who may not know the history of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. I would recommend this for older teens and adults as there is some difficult topics such as drugs, diseases, and death.