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Profusely Illustrated: A Memoir
The fabulous life and times of one of our wittiest, most endearing and enduring caricaturists--in his own words and inimitable art. Sorel has given us some of the best pictorial satire of our time ... [his] pen can slash as well as any sword" (The Washington Post).
Alongside more than 172 of his drawings, cartoons, and caricatures--and in prose as spirited and wickedly pointed as his artwork--Edward Sorel gives us an unforgettable self-portrait: his poor Depression-era childhood in the Bronx (surrounded by loving Romanian immigrant grandparents and a clan of mostly left-leaning aunts and uncles); his first stabs at drawing when pneumonia kept him out of school at age eight; his time as a student at New York's famed High School of Music and Art; the scrappy early days of Push Pin Studios, founded with fellow Cooper Union alums Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast, which became the hottest design group of the 1960s; his two marriages and four children; and his many friends in New York's art and literary circles.
As the "young lefty" becomes an "old lefty," Sorel charts the highlights of his remarkable life, by both telling us and showing us how in magazines and newspapers, books, murals, cartoons, and comic strips, he steadily lampooned--and celebrated--American cultural and political life. He sets his story in the parallel trajectory of American presidents, from FDR's time to the present day--with the candor and depth of insight that could come only from someone who lived through it all.
In Profusely Illustrated, Sorel reveals the kaleidoscopic ways in which the personal and political collide in art--a collision that is simultaneously brilliant in concept and uproarious and beautiful in its representation.
Alongside more than 172 of his drawings, cartoons, and caricatures--and in prose as spirited and wickedly pointed as his artwork--Edward Sorel gives us an unforgettable self-portrait: his poor Depression-era childhood in the Bronx (surrounded by loving Romanian immigrant grandparents and a clan of mostly left-leaning aunts and uncles); his first stabs at drawing when pneumonia kept him out of school at age eight; his time as a student at New York's famed High School of Music and Art; the scrappy early days of Push Pin Studios, founded with fellow Cooper Union alums Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast, which became the hottest design group of the 1960s; his two marriages and four children; and his many friends in New York's art and literary circles.
As the "young lefty" becomes an "old lefty," Sorel charts the highlights of his remarkable life, by both telling us and showing us how in magazines and newspapers, books, murals, cartoons, and comic strips, he steadily lampooned--and celebrated--American cultural and political life. He sets his story in the parallel trajectory of American presidents, from FDR's time to the present day--with the candor and depth of insight that could come only from someone who lived through it all.
In Profusely Illustrated, Sorel reveals the kaleidoscopic ways in which the personal and political collide in art--a collision that is simultaneously brilliant in concept and uproarious and beautiful in its representation.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 30, 2024
Famed illustrator and satirist Edward Sorel is now 94 years old. He published this incandescent memoir 2 years ago. His intent was not really a summary of his life. In his typically self-deprecating manner, he stated to his editor that he didn't think he was that interesting a person.
Mainly, Sorel's aim was archival; to gather the best of his work altogether in one place as a keepsake. An examined life didn't seem to fit in. Nor did there seem to him much point. But his editor threw him an au contraire, reminding him of the number of eras and the sheer amount of great, societal changes he had not only lived through but had also pointedly commented on in his art.
Surely, she argued, he had a thing or twelve to say in retrospect about all of it. She talked him into it.
Not that long ago (2016), Sorel had published another major work, the impersonal yet somehow very personal project that he had wanted for years to realize: 'Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936'. To me, that book was a find and a gem! ~ not only immensely entertaining but loaded with a tack-sharp wit surprising for someone nearing 90!
Needless to say, I loved it. I also sang its praises.:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But I didn't anticipate there would be more to come - and, with this memoir, there's more.
Aside from the many many many GLORIOUS examples of the man as artist, Sorel's life is laid out with succinct (and often riotous) simplicity. We get his early years - the years of difficulty in finding his niche - as well as the years of whirlwind activity. He probably wouldn't think it of himself but it turns out he was rather shrewd in the way he handled his career, embracing a tried-and-true dictum: To thine own self be true.
Sorel's work covered a wide ground - and a good deal of that ground was political in nature. His leanings have always been socialist and his concern re: The State of American Democracy has always been deep. What he recounts about our within-memory Presidents - most of which tends to not be taught in high school history classes - makes this memoir a sort of sequel to Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of the United States'.
Certainly Sorel has had a remarkable life; he writes of it in a very chatty and rather endearing style. It was a treat to experience it at a closer range. In 2011, his son Leo did something similar, by making a 20-minute doc about his dad. You can see that here:
https://vimeo.com/30098734
Mainly, Sorel's aim was archival; to gather the best of his work altogether in one place as a keepsake. An examined life didn't seem to fit in. Nor did there seem to him much point. But his editor threw him an au contraire, reminding him of the number of eras and the sheer amount of great, societal changes he had not only lived through but had also pointedly commented on in his art.
Surely, she argued, he had a thing or twelve to say in retrospect about all of it. She talked him into it.
Not that long ago (2016), Sorel had published another major work, the impersonal yet somehow very personal project that he had wanted for years to realize: 'Mary Astor's Purple Diary: The Great American Sex Scandal of 1936'. To me, that book was a find and a gem! ~ not only immensely entertaining but loaded with a tack-sharp wit surprising for someone nearing 90!
Needless to say, I loved it. I also sang its praises.:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But I didn't anticipate there would be more to come - and, with this memoir, there's more.
Aside from the many many many GLORIOUS examples of the man as artist, Sorel's life is laid out with succinct (and often riotous) simplicity. We get his early years - the years of difficulty in finding his niche - as well as the years of whirlwind activity. He probably wouldn't think it of himself but it turns out he was rather shrewd in the way he handled his career, embracing a tried-and-true dictum: To thine own self be true.
Sorel's work covered a wide ground - and a good deal of that ground was political in nature. His leanings have always been socialist and his concern re: The State of American Democracy has always been deep. What he recounts about our within-memory Presidents - most of which tends to not be taught in high school history classes - makes this memoir a sort of sequel to Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of the United States'.
Certainly Sorel has had a remarkable life; he writes of it in a very chatty and rather endearing style. It was a treat to experience it at a closer range. In 2011, his son Leo did something similar, by making a 20-minute doc about his dad. You can see that here:
https://vimeo.com/30098734
January 4, 2022
Because I have enjoyed Edward Sorel’s caricatures in various publications over the years, I wanted to see Profusely Illustrated for the artwork; and I assumed I would tolerate, perhaps just skim, the text. The artwork delivered on its promise; the caricatures are humorous, thought provoking, and sometimes dramatic. And Sorel's book offers much more, including posters, cartoons, comic strips, magazine covers, and even an extensive restaurant mural. The artwork captures important moments in history, moments that reveal character—and character flaws—of many significant historical figures.
Given my preconception about the text, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the writing in addition to the art. Sorel’s memoir captures the arc of his life but also focuses on a century of history as well, particularly the multiple failures of multiple American presidents. Some readers may be irritated, even irate, over Sorel’s historical take, especially his political views, and some may find the writing overly self-promotional. I put my judgmental agreement/disagreement hat aside and went along for the ride, and an enjoyable ride it was.
To summarize, Profusely Illustrated is entertaining and enlightening in both words and images. If the book is not for everyone, so be it. I was interested in both story and images from beginning to end.
Given my preconception about the text, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the writing in addition to the art. Sorel’s memoir captures the arc of his life but also focuses on a century of history as well, particularly the multiple failures of multiple American presidents. Some readers may be irritated, even irate, over Sorel’s historical take, especially his political views, and some may find the writing overly self-promotional. I put my judgmental agreement/disagreement hat aside and went along for the ride, and an enjoyable ride it was.
To summarize, Profusely Illustrated is entertaining and enlightening in both words and images. If the book is not for everyone, so be it. I was interested in both story and images from beginning to end.
January 6, 2022
Sorel is one of the great illustrators and cartoonist of the last fifty years. he has a drawing style which is instantly recognizable.
Sorel gives us three things in this book: a good selection of his drawings, a memoir and the reasons for his political disappointment with every President from Truman to Trump.
The drawings are wonderful. I thought of him as primarily a political cartoonist. He is a first-rate caricaturist. His Nixon, Johnson and Carter are appropriately sneaky, sly and self-righteous, respectively.
I had forgotten how much else he drew. He includes a great portfolio of his covers for The New Yorker. His "Springtime in New York" and his post 9/11 covers are classics. He also includes examples of his book illustrations, murals and posters. We also get good chunks of his own graphic stories.
Sorel has a confident casual style that walks the line between cartoonish and formality. He loves curves and full canvases with allot to look at. This is a great collection of drawings.
The memoir is nothing special. He grew up poor in New York. He struggled through art school. He worked hard and eventually became a successful illustrator. He had some business challenges and met some semi-famous, semi-interesting people. Honestly, not many really good stories.
The political stuff is dropped in as his life gets to each President. Sorel is opposed to American imperialism. He argues that every time America tries to force a country to do what America wants, it blows up into unintended and dangerous consequences. Since every President from Truman on was an imperialist, Sorel has little use for any of them. He makes a point of including the liberal martyr JFK in his criticism.
He argues that the sixty years of fearmongering and lying to the American people was responsible for making a President Trump possible. He has liberal criticism of domestic policies, but his focus is on the horrible consequences of imperialism,
He makes his argument well. He is good at reminding us about disasters that get forgotten like what we did in Chile or Guatemala. I agree with much of his argument.
The political stuff seems shoehorned into the book. Every ten or twenty pages he stops his memoir and drops in his problems with American policy. I enjoyed those portions oof the book, but it makes the whole thing feel disjointed.
The line used to be, "I just read Playboy for the stories." I would say you should read this book for the pictures.
Sorel gives us three things in this book: a good selection of his drawings, a memoir and the reasons for his political disappointment with every President from Truman to Trump.
The drawings are wonderful. I thought of him as primarily a political cartoonist. He is a first-rate caricaturist. His Nixon, Johnson and Carter are appropriately sneaky, sly and self-righteous, respectively.
I had forgotten how much else he drew. He includes a great portfolio of his covers for The New Yorker. His "Springtime in New York" and his post 9/11 covers are classics. He also includes examples of his book illustrations, murals and posters. We also get good chunks of his own graphic stories.
Sorel has a confident casual style that walks the line between cartoonish and formality. He loves curves and full canvases with allot to look at. This is a great collection of drawings.
The memoir is nothing special. He grew up poor in New York. He struggled through art school. He worked hard and eventually became a successful illustrator. He had some business challenges and met some semi-famous, semi-interesting people. Honestly, not many really good stories.
The political stuff is dropped in as his life gets to each President. Sorel is opposed to American imperialism. He argues that every time America tries to force a country to do what America wants, it blows up into unintended and dangerous consequences. Since every President from Truman on was an imperialist, Sorel has little use for any of them. He makes a point of including the liberal martyr JFK in his criticism.
He argues that the sixty years of fearmongering and lying to the American people was responsible for making a President Trump possible. He has liberal criticism of domestic policies, but his focus is on the horrible consequences of imperialism,
He makes his argument well. He is good at reminding us about disasters that get forgotten like what we did in Chile or Guatemala. I agree with much of his argument.
The political stuff seems shoehorned into the book. Every ten or twenty pages he stops his memoir and drops in his problems with American policy. I enjoyed those portions oof the book, but it makes the whole thing feel disjointed.
The line used to be, "I just read Playboy for the stories." I would say you should read this book for the pictures.
October 4, 2022
Edward Sorel has long been among my pantheon of extraordinarily distinctive illustrators. The way he drew hands! The hierarchical figures and nods to art history icons! The eyes popping out from the frenzy of lines and tones in his caricatures! The architectural observations of New York City! Scoundrels and heroes (not so many of the latter), legends, vamps, phonies, and popinjays, from Washington DC to Hollywood, and across the pond.
I enjoyed the pieces chosen for this memoir, recognizing favorites from my subscriptions to progressive magazines and newspapers.
The writing was engaging if a bit chest-pounding at times, and there seemed to be little overkill with the name-dropping. Still, Sorel WAS in the vortex of the illustration scene for decades, with a keen grasp of the zeitgeist of those years.
Such a long life, and still cranking out the art. I loved knowing about how much he loved his second wife and how they collaborated. He formed enduring friendships with a number of literary luminaries and tips his pen to a number of fellow illustrators. What a guy.
I’m an illustrator myself— small-time, and not really in the game anymore, though I draw daily and caricature for the sheer pleasure of it. So I could relate to the anxieties and deadlines of the publishing business, the hopes and disappointments and the way things sometimes just worked out better than you could imagine. Edward Sorel really applied himself and won a huge and appreciative audience with his witty pen work.
Wish I could meet the guy but suspect that even were that possible, artists of his caliber probably disdain small talk with adoring fans.
One more thing: This book is beautifully produced on good, glossy stock that does the pictures justice. Great illustrated end sheets and tight binding as befits an Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi) art book.
I enjoyed the pieces chosen for this memoir, recognizing favorites from my subscriptions to progressive magazines and newspapers.
The writing was engaging if a bit chest-pounding at times, and there seemed to be little overkill with the name-dropping. Still, Sorel WAS in the vortex of the illustration scene for decades, with a keen grasp of the zeitgeist of those years.
Such a long life, and still cranking out the art. I loved knowing about how much he loved his second wife and how they collaborated. He formed enduring friendships with a number of literary luminaries and tips his pen to a number of fellow illustrators. What a guy.
I’m an illustrator myself— small-time, and not really in the game anymore, though I draw daily and caricature for the sheer pleasure of it. So I could relate to the anxieties and deadlines of the publishing business, the hopes and disappointments and the way things sometimes just worked out better than you could imagine. Edward Sorel really applied himself and won a huge and appreciative audience with his witty pen work.
Wish I could meet the guy but suspect that even were that possible, artists of his caliber probably disdain small talk with adoring fans.
One more thing: This book is beautifully produced on good, glossy stock that does the pictures justice. Great illustrated end sheets and tight binding as befits an Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi) art book.
June 1, 2022
My all-time favorite New Yorker magazine cover is an Edward Sorel cartoon. It shows a frantic Santa, on Christmas Eve, pointing to a mantel clock just a few minutes before midnight. But the disdainful reindeer he’s trying to corral to his sleigh can’t be bothered: They’re sitting around a table, playing an intense game of poker.
Sorel is an unapologetic and secular “lefty.” His new illustrated memoir is a delight on several levels. It includes nearly 200 of his distinctive cartoons and caricatures, recounts his unlikely road to artistic success growing up in the Bronx, and gives him a chance to vent on how he thinks America ended up electing a racist thug as president — namely, “the criminal acts committed by the 12 presidents who preceded Trump.”
This is the most fun book I have read in some time.
Sorel is an unapologetic and secular “lefty.” His new illustrated memoir is a delight on several levels. It includes nearly 200 of his distinctive cartoons and caricatures, recounts his unlikely road to artistic success growing up in the Bronx, and gives him a chance to vent on how he thinks America ended up electing a racist thug as president — namely, “the criminal acts committed by the 12 presidents who preceded Trump.”
This is the most fun book I have read in some time.
March 12, 2022
Sorel gives the reader / viewer his art, political commentary, wit and curmudgeonly attitude in this entertaining stroll through America’s last 70 years of east coast political thought and political cartoons. I agree with his political commentary on our last 12 presidents and was reminded of why I hold some of my opinions through his historical references. I have an appreciation for his artistic rendering of many his opinions and his writing style is conversational and highly engaging.
January 1, 2022
Great Book!
Highly recommend. Unfortunately, I still am required by Amazon to write eighteen more words in order to submit. There you go, Amazon.
Highly recommend. Unfortunately, I still am required by Amazon to write eighteen more words in order to submit. There you go, Amazon.
February 23, 2022
Upfront the author tells you he wants to pimp two things: his caricatures and his political opinions ... the pictures are wonderful
January 10, 2024
Read it for the pictures which tell you everything even without the copy.
February 10, 2024
The art is superb, right on. The writing is a lot left.
Sorel is my hero. His caricatures are unmatched. His text is painfully honest and compelling but veers to the left.
Sorel is my hero. His caricatures are unmatched. His text is painfully honest and compelling but veers to the left.
April 14, 2025
This was okay. Sorel doesn’t have a tremendously interesting life, but I don’t enjoy all the illustrations. I could have done without all the political commentary.
November 17, 2025
I liked all of the history (and his take on that history) in the book. The best thing, though, are the pictures so you have to get the actual book and not listen to an audiobook.
March 31, 2022
Sorel truly is a genius. As someone who greatly admires caricature but has no ability to pull it off, I'm a huge fan of his command of drawing and control of a variety of media. Nice review of the culture and politics of the second half of the twentieth century, from an admittedly biased but highly entertaining point of view.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews