Keith Haring Journals

by Keith Haring, Robert Farris Thompson (Introduction)

His own words and artwork follow the evolution of the late artist, from early chalk sketches to massive steel sculptures, in a volume illustrated with previously unpublished drawings from his notebooks

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, LGBT, Queer, Art History

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Keith Haring (1958–1990) grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to New York in 1978 to enroll in the School of Visual Arts. Over the following decade, he made some of the most widely recognized artwork of the twentieth century.

Reviews

[lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Touching people’s lives in a positive way is as close as I can get to an idea of religion.”

Keith Haring may have been one of the greatest minds of his time! His journals are so enlightening and fascinating. His thoughts on what art means to individuals and its place in society as well as his thoughts on the AIDS crisis as someone who knows he's going to eventually die of AIDS and his thoughts on power and corruption & how art can be transformative!

Another quote I love (about gayness and what it means to be "out" in the 80s):

“It is a kind of report on my generation and the preceding one for those of us who have chosen to live our lives in the open and not hide in the closet. In many ways it made me proud and in some ways very sympathetic. It’s not an easy time to be alive, and maybe an even more difficult time to die.”

[Nativeabuse · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was more depressing than anything. It starts out the story of a guy who is totally committed to coming up with neat interesting artistic concepts, he starts out with his art school ideals writing in such a lovely way about how he does his work and you really watch Haring begin to grow as an artist across each page! The first part of the books is awesome.

I would recommend skipping the second half entirely though. It jumps abruptly from Harings neat musings on art and aesthetics and his current shows, ect. to 4 or 5 years of no journals, then when you resume them his journals consist of nothing but a laundry list of business and which famous people he was partying/eating dinner with last night. Gone completely are his musings on art. Most of the rest of the book is Keith being pissy about how people are acting toward him and complaining about stuff. He talks about nothing but business and 'work' he sees it as nothing but a job from this point, which is sad.

He also doesn't really touch on his current relationships very much at all., And later on he doesn't muse about death or his aids. Right up to the end it is 'work' was this today, this guy called, meeting with this guy, dinner with this chick. Ect.

I hated how it totally skips out how he met up with all the right people and got famous, skipping from being in a couple of local galleries to being completely famous? What happened?

It was really depressing to watch this guy throw away his love of art to become obsessed with making money by doing extremely similar stick figure desigs that he can pump out really quickly. His style doesn't really change at all later because he stopped exploring. Sad story.

[Mind the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kör vidare med min nyuppfunna läsmetod: ligger i solstolen och blundar med Audible-versionen i hörlurarna. I handen vilar pappersboken och en ballografpenna, som alltid.

En produktiv och levnadsglad människa. David Pittus starka, energiska uppläsingsröst får det att framgå. Keith Haring var verkligen "big in Japan", ja, i hela världen. Flög fram och tillbaka med Concorde och deltog otaliga utställningar, projekt och gatukonstprojekt. Allt det där minns jag från den där dokumentären, hette den kanske 'Street Art Boy'? Det nämns inte vem som skötte all logistik och alla bokningar, men har ett vagt minne av en gatekeeper, så att säga, gallerichefen Julia från ett gammalt STIL:
https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/187968

Även om jag är cirka en generation under KH minns jag också de typiska 80-tals-skräcktankarna: är datorer möjlighet eller hot? blir det kärnvapenkrig? hur många kommer att dö i aids? Redan när det börjar bli 1988 börjar det kännas sorgligt, då man vet att Harings korta liv börjar gå mot sitt slut. Han ville hela tiden utvecklas och läste många andra konstnärers dagböcker. Nytt för mig var att han tillbringade så mycket tid i Knokke, granne med Oostende i Belgien.

Lite deppigt att inse att en stor del av hans konstnärsskap baserades på LSD-framkallade upplevelser i högstadieåldern på fälten omkring hemstaden i Pennsylvania. Just den informationen kommer jag inte föra vidare till de Keith-Haring-T-shirt-bärande ungdomarna i min närhet. Däremot aktivismen kommer jag att berätta om och hur den unge Keith läste Whitman och Vonnegut.

Andra dagböcker att se fram emot i höst är Noréns sista och tio år med Suzanne Brøgger i den inte så förskräckligt fantasifulla titeln En författares dagbok.

[Patrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me over a year to read this book. It may have been due in part to the fact that I knew that Haring would inevitably die an early heart breaking death. I first found this book in Ara Güler's café in Istanbul back in 2008. I sat at the small table pouring over the journals and knew I had to order it when I got back to the states.

These journals start in 1977 when Haring is a teenager living in Pennsylvania hitch hiking and busing around the country attending Grateful Dead shows, visiting Disney Land, and seeing the west coast. Fast forward a year and Haring has made the leap of moving to New York City and is attending the School of Visual Arts.

Haring's early journals show the work of a devoted artist and student of art. Haring frequently quotes articles, biographies, literature, and philosophers as he examines his relationship and vision of art. These journals are rich and illuminating. Haring seems to be keeping a vital record of his process, inspiration, and motivation behind creating his work.

Reading Haring's descriptions of the late 1970's and early 1980's are brilliant. The group of artists, musicians, DJs, poets, writers, and socialites that Haring surrounds himself with are incredible. In addition to being an amazing visual artist, Haring is a descriptive and generous writer. I couldn't help but feel lucky to be privy to Haring's stories about some of the clubs, all night dance parties, and creative work that was happening in NYC at that time.

Haring is brutally honest about the harshness of the art world as he climbs to success in a relatively short period of time. One of his journal entries categorically picks apart the process of marketing and selling art. It's almost a how-to manual on how the auction houses, art dealers, gallery owners, and critics create and destroy artists.

The later entries of Haring's diaries are a whirlwind tour of the world as he travels from Japan to Europe to NYC and back again. Between each year of entries is a list of one man exhibitions, group exhibitions, special projects, and books & catalogues. These lists are increasingly long and active. Haring's special projects are overwhelming to behold, his work is often for charitable organizations, and many children's organizations.

Haring often bemoans his lack of acceptance into the upper reaches of the art world. In one journal entry he visits the MOMA in NYC to visit the solo exhibition of a contemporary. His contemporary is obviously influenced by Haring's work, but the MOMA has never purchased Haring's work or asked him to exhibit.

Haring's journals are delightfully honest and full of interesting stories about people, cute boys, and children he meets and loves all over the world. Haring runs in the top circles of the celebrity, society, and art world.

There is no clear indication in the journals of when Keith is clearly diagnosed with AIDS. A journal entry late in 1989 tells of his daily AZT medication, but there is little mention of his realization of being diagnosed with the disease. However, earlier entries in Haring's journals are prophetic and filled with worry that he will someday be diagnosed. Haring writes about his thoughts that AIDS is a government created disease/war. If anything, Keith's work only increases after his diagnosis with the disease.

The work that Keith Haring left for the world is immense and incredibly important for an artist who had such a short time to work.

[marina]

i love you keith <3

[Kendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collected journals differ from memoirs in that they may never have been intended for an external audience. I think this is extremely clear in Keith Haring's entries, some of which are hastily dashed scribbles, brief memorandums, or diatribes about individuals Haring would have never expressed in public. Yet, it is perhaps for this extremely quotidian nature of the writing that Haring's journals open me to a different understanding of the artist. Spoilers to follow.

Haring's journals can be split into three "eras" - his time as a student and young artist, his time as a rising star, and then his time trying to create amidst the shadow of AIDs. The writing style differs across the three eras. It is up to you what you like most. For me, I enjoyed seeing Haring's voice develop across the years, how he slowly adopts a quicker, brisker method of writing. Pleasantly, his voice is distinct and clear. I don't struggle to read his writing as much I do with some other artists.

Not well-received by the fine-art critics, Haring in his journal entries calls out at the lack of establishment support and endorsement for his work. He also strongly critiques the way in which an artist can be influenced and manipulated by the marketisation of art - a memorable moment in the book is when he lists out the cycle in which artists are brought into the establishment, their art valued and then made into objects of investment. Haring remained uneasy with the commercialisation of his art, even as he made attempts to keep it accessible to the public. He was also a fine critic and reviewer in his own right, and his earliest journal entries hint tantalisingly at what could have been, if he had managed to live longer and become a stronger proponent for the type of art he loved making.

There are moments where Haring grows increasingly exasperated with others, and his emotions can weigh heavy on the reader, but I am overall left with a sense of how human Haring is. He talks about his love for children (a constant refrain in his art-making and writing), how he was inducted by older queer artists into the art world, and of the relationships he worked through and maintained. The only slight confusion I had was with the images of Keith or his art interspersed through the journal entries. I could not always tell how they related to the writing, or if they were posthumous additions, and it bothered me enough that it prevents me from giving this a full 5 stars.

If one is interested in queer art, HIV/AIDs, or in Keith's life, much of worth can be found in this book. A barking dog's joy. 4.5/5 stars.

[Jory Dayne]

Keith Haring's images are some of the earliest I remember — I can still see his drawings in my mind, animated, accompanied by the goofiest songs on Sesame Street. The more I learn about his life the more and more respect I gain for him. His pieces, like himself, are at once reserved and saturated with emotion — a king of permanent Interrobang Introspection, and his journal is perhaps all of that in a more raw form.

A journal is what it is. In some places this book leaves a little to be desired, I find myself skimming as the art theory gets a little thick or the narration disjointed... but then I get snapped back to attention by devastating passages like the one from March 28, 1987:

"Anyway, there is one question George [Condo:] is asked about life and and art and which is more important, and George said art is more important because it is immortal. This struck a very deep note inside me. For I am quite aware of the chance that I have or will have AIDS.

The odds are very great and, in fact, the symptoms already exist. My friends are dropping like flies and I know in my heart that it is only divine intervention that had kept me alive this long. I don't know if I have five months or five years, but I know my days are numbered.

This is why my activities and projects are so important now. To do as much as possible as quickly as possible... I'm not afraid of anything I've ever done. Not ashamed of anything."

It's hard not to get emotional as you progress from this point, knowing that time is running out for him, that he had not five, but barely three more years left to live. In a addition to that, it's a fascinating look into Haring's increasingly star-studded life, into his struggles and progression as an artist. The new Penguin Deluxe edition is especially nice: it wants to be toted along and left under a pillow — it begs to be touched and weathers nicely. It's appropriate and well considered.

[Emma Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very hard to read this book fast, so I took a lot longer reading this than my normal reading speed.
I have never read a book like this, and honestly felt a lot of grief knowing details of Keith Haring’s death before reading. It was very hard at times to read his thoughts on the AIDS crisis years before he contracted it himself.
As a lover of his work that wanted to know more about him, I feel it was the best read I could’ve picked, and I feel grateful we have this book to memorialize his direct thoughts and experiences.

[Peter Landau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I neither love nor loathe Keith Haring. He was ubiquitous when I was growing up in New York. His diaries are a grab bag of ideas on art and the times, though as he grew in fame they digress into a litany of people and places. I enjoyed the book, but it was the last sentence added by the editor, which ends the volume by noting the date of his death that surprised me. I knew he had AIDS and was dead, but after spending so much time in his head the effect of losing him was deviating.

[dante]

i cant possibly be objective about this i just really love keith haring

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haring relates his coming of age and swift rise to fame; the places he visited, the books he read, his thoughts on art and life; and then people around him started dying; he found himself smack in the middle of the AIDS epidemic and his -at times- casual resignation to this fact was remarkable:

"Anyway, there is one question George is asked about life and art and which is more important, and George said art is more important because it is immortal. This struck a very deep note inside me. For I am quite aware of the chance that I have or will have AIDS. The odds are very great and, in fact, the symptoms already exist. My friends are dropping like flies and I know in my heart that it is only divine intervention that has kept me alive this long. I don’t know if I have five months or five years, but I know my days are numbered."

"I always knew, since I was young, that I would die young. But I thought it would be fast (an accident, not a disease). In fact, a man-made disease like AIDS. Time will tell, but I am not scared. I live every day as if it were the last. I love life. I love babies and children and some people, most people—well, maybe not most, but a lot of people! I’ve been very lucky so far; luckier than many. I don’t take it for granted, I assure you. I appreciate everything that has happened, especially the gift of life I was given that has created a silent bond between me and children. Children can sense this “thing” in me. Almost all children have a special sense of this “thing” in other people. They know."

"Many people at many times only lived to 30 or 40. If I was born in another place or time, maybe I would have died at war or in another disaster. AIDS is the new plague. Why do I think I should be exempt? Why not me? There is an illusion of “safety” in the world I live in. Because of medicine, science and financial security, we tend to believe that we are “safe.”"

[Amber Grindon · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m glad I read this. the insight into his mind was comforting and jarring.

his relationship with his life was so passionate, in good ways and bad. it started with the way he felt about his place in the art world and his brilliant ideas to make art more accessible to everyone. then moved on to his relationship with life and others around him. he talks about how he feels young at heart and that translates because he is constantly learning about himself and you learn with him.

although it is not a page turner, it made me think and feel a lot (hence the long review) and i’m grateful for the insight it’s given me.

that being said, I probably won’t read it again or recommend it fully.

I know it’s not for everyone and maybe an art student or artist will gain more than I did but I still leave with a warmer heart, carrying the words he said about life with me.

[Keeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Version with new forward by Shepard Fairey

406 page version

What an incredible read! Have always respected Haring’s work and his ability to make art accessible and for the people. His philanthropic endeavors and love of children is really inspiring. Reading his deep thoughts and inner reconciliation with the business of Big Art while maintaining transparency/continuing to pump out projects was so interested to read from his perspective. Unlike the Warhol diaries, Haring’s is arguably less emotional and more introspective. It focuses less on his relationships and love affairs and more about his work. The elements that are focused on that mirror his grief for life, others, and himself. I loved how this journal felt less intrusive and what written with the purpose of being shared and added context to his life and work. He was truly just one of us and his impact on the world continues in his absence. 🩷

Will be rereading this over and over when I need inspiration or to just feel something real! His life philosophy is something I’d like to remember. Ty Chrissy for the book.

[Will Sorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art world is definitely one of my biggest blind spots when it comes to media/art/form/ect. Haring’s journals gave me a lot of insight into this world as well as a truly unique reading experience. This is the first book I’ve read that is completely lifted from someone’s personal journal and it’s both incredibly intimate and deeply fascinating. Haring always wanted his journals read so I have no idea how fully unfiltered and interior facing this book truly is, but I genuinely think a huge chunk of this is the best chance someone can get to actually being inside Keith Haring’s brain.

A brilliant artist, a complicated person and a great book. Highly recommended if you love hearing about the creative process, but also be aware that the book gets very heavy at points, especially after Haring’s AIDS diagnosis.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Haring’s Journals. A free-flowing expression of his thoughts, creative processes, and day to day experiences. A lot of my own thoughts as an artist felt echoed by the writings of an artist of a very different scale and time period - which was very striking. Skrrrrrrtt

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keith Haring’s journal is written with a childlike wonder of life’s simple beauties (and tragedies). His genuine kindness and dedication to art shines through on every page. His style changes through the years, but the message that ‘art is for everyone’ never does.

I really didn’t want to finish this book because we all know how it ends, but it’s a beautiful, intimate celebration of the life of a true artist.

A collection of my favorite quotes:

“Touching people’s lives in a positive way is as close as I can get to an idea of religion.”

“Art is life. Life is art. The importance of both is over-exaggerated as well as misunderstood.”

“Money is the opposite of magic. Art is magic. The worlds of art and money are constantly intermingling…Magic must always triumph.”

“I will never forget some of the adults who touched my life through my childhood. Sometimes very brief encounters have made an impact that is very lasting and very real. If it is possible for me to have that kind of effect on any children, I think that would be the most important and useful thing I could do.”

“As in all things: time will clarify the events that are presently unclear.”

“I’m not really scared of AIDS. Not for myself. I’m scared of having to watch more people die in front of me.”

“Most white men are evil. The white man has always used religion as the tool to fulfill his greed and power hungry agression.”

“In the middle of Düsseldorf we saw a duck cross the road (at a red light, and between the lines of the crosswalk) in a relatively busy intersection all by himself. He was crossing from one side of a bridge to another at a small creek. Very funny.”

“I’m glad I’m different. I’m proud to be gay.”

“Nothing ever seems to stay the same, though. Everything changes. Always. Right now I’m not sure if I understand anything anymore.”

“As long as I can, I want to be a good person and a good friend. I learn more about how to do that every day.”

[Nouk G · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of Haring's work I couldn't resist diving into his thoughts and introspection of his art and life in general. Actually I liked the journal for the most part, especially when he's explaining his intentions behind his paintings and shared his inspirations in a sensitive way. What a great and sensitive artist, working endlessly and making art as popular as possible for everyone !
However, as some readers have said before this review, the middle part was rather boring, only listing quickly some elements of his days and loosing the narrative structure he used at the beginning, but it doesn't last too long, and by finishing this journal I realised how much he has contributed to art and that he'll never be replaced.

[Michael Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking work of genius. What a gifted artist and better at words then one would expect. The early parts where he's working out his artistic philosophy gives you great insight into his process and deeper understanding of where he saw his art in the spectrum of history. Then his drive to create despite his looming death is riviting and leaves you to wonder what he would have done with a full lifetime? Might he have surpassed Picasso or Warhol? I guess we must be happy he was able to create the body of work he did in such a short time.

[alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone with only passing familiarity with Keith Haring, this was a good insight into his life, short but intense as it was, as recorded in his diary. At first one feels the defiance of youth, the poetry drafts and cruising confessions, then with time it becomes sometimes reflective, sometimes upbeat and sometimes just a list of activities.

What I learnt was that even as a student he was very well read, citing and mulling over art theory at length, and that afterwards his rise to fame was apparently exponential; in the course of a few years after school he had developed his signature style and was involved in projects that seemed to be centred in Europe: Paris, Dusseldorf, Knokke and (most surprising to me) Lausanne visited many times, travelling from NYC in a Concorde, and then on the road making art, hanging out with art collectors and other artists, and often going out to clubs until the next morning, while juggling his relationships and his mortality after being diagnosed with AIDS. This last part in particular was quite moving as it seemed to spur him on to continue living life to the full until the very end.

There are many similar observations throughout that humanise him as he was dealing with his own cultural impact and make plain his busy schedule. It was interesting to get an up close and personal view and get a sense of who was in his circle, but the context can also get a bit hermetic in places.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una buena parte de sus diarios (digamos que en un tercio, hacia la mitad del texto) se reducen a un relato lineal de los aviones en los que se ha montado, la gente que ha conocido, los lugares a los que ha ido, los hoteles donde se ha alojado y las fiestas a las que ha asistido. Demasiados para mi gusto.

Donde sí brilla es en los pasajes en los que habla de sus referentes, influencias y maestros; sus vivencias con algunos de los artistas estadounidenses más relevantes de su época (Warhol, Burroughs, Ginsberg...), así como de algunos temas personales sobre los que deja potentes relexiones: el valor del artista y su papel en la sociedad, el mercado del arte y su funcionamiento, la homosexualidad o el SIDA. Toda esta parte (que es importante en el libro) es muy inspiradora.

Me quedo con la sensación de conocerlo mejor, pero de una forma un tanto superficial. De su lectura destaco referencias artísticas y algunas reflexiones, pero salvo algunas excepciones no ha sido un libro tan emotivo como me hubiera gustado (quizá ahí tenga el problema yo con mis expectativas, pero ese es otro tema).

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keith Haring is my favorite artist, so it was really a great experience getting to glimpse inside his mind for awhile. My big takeaway is Haring always adored children, and I think it would maybe honor his memory to share that I loved him ever since I was four and saw his art for A Very Special Christmas. I loved (and love) how cartoon-y and bold his work is. Now through this, I know he created that cover with all the proceeds going to the special Olympics and that he wanted more than anything to make children smile. Makes me cry just thinking about it. A life too short for a legacy so great.

[Barbara Wilgus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after seeing journals on display as part of the Haring exhibit at AGO in Toronto. This was the perfect start to 2024; inspiring, and also a reminder that time is precious and running out. If you want salacious gossip, these aren’t your journals to read (though, some of his petty squabbles are pretty funny). Rather, this is a genius at work- one of my favorite artists since childhood- documenting his craft and process with the full knowledge he won’t be around to tell these stories himself in the decades and decades to come. I loved it. I learned from it.

[Scarlett Raczycki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching and fascinating look into the inner mind of Keith Haring and the goings on of his life at the height of his career. Such a glamorous and exciting life he led, and he led it with so much care, compassion, and true love for everything he did. I have loved his art for a long long time, and through this journal and other exhibitions I’ve grown to love him as a person even more. Oh, to have run in his circles! What an absolutely powerhouse of an artist and human, he did more with 31 years than any of us can really hope for.

Devastating how suddenly it ends.

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Art, friends, love, work, airports, drogues and dinners.

It really feels he thought that his journal will be published one day, and there so many acute reflections and ideas about art. Discussing the work of art, purpose of it and my favourite subject - art and the viewer.

[Clementine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spending time with someone who died before I was born, whose work I have seen in person and which has touched me deeply, was a really beautiful experience. So thankful for Haring’s presence on this earth and the peek into his mind.

[Chris Kelley]

It would feel giving excerpts from someone’s journal a score, But I truly enjoyed reading someone else’s thoughts from a different time and space. Would recommend.

[Lola]

Bis an d’halchend gelies an dann d’buch verluer :( Dat wat ech gelies hun wuar awer 10/10

[Nadia Zeemeeuw · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was inspiring, bitter, joyful, sad, tragic, reflecting - as a journal supposed to be. A slice of life of a young extremely talented artist.

[Courtney Mosier Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Keith’s art, but through reading this I fell in love with him as a person. AIDS took him too soon. His perspective seems much needed these days.