Dear Diary

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She also goes back to talk to people she wrote about to find out if they're still jerks or whether they've mended their ways. The problem is that A I was looking through the bookstore purchasing materials for my vacation rare treat to self when this book on display jumped out at me.

The problem is that Arfin seems like a bigger jerk than those she claims tortured her in school. She's petty and vindictive and isn't someone that I would particularly want to know. While a book could still work under these conditions, this one doesn't. Arfin wants to appeal to reader nostalgia by recalling the awkwardness of youth, but with a glut of memoirs on the market, it should contain some insight into human nature. Instead of exploring her own faults and reasons for her decent into drug abuse, her defenses are raised so high that readers can see an insecurity that the author herself won't admit exists.

By the end of the book, I found the author's picture on the back cover was the perfect capper. She is wearing sunglasses and blowing bubble gum to obscure what she looks like, her small arms tossed up in a faux gangster pose.

Nov 03, matt. Lesley Arfin is not an extraordinary girl. She grew up a Jewish American Princess in Long Island, endured the same cattiness and extreme self-consciousness all teenagers suffer through, became a punk, then a raver, then went off to college — and became a full-blown junkie. How does someone go from kick line and crushes and mosh pits to Ecstasy and crystal meth and heroin? Balls is not what the book lacks. What it lacks is the ability to transcend mere autobiography. Arfin wants her experience to say something about adolescence in general: She and Arfin had a similar upbringing, except where Arfin descended into drugs, Sevigny went off and gave Vincent Gallo an on-camera blowjob.

Both are terrible mistakes — different kinds of mistakes, but mistakes nonetheless — and mistakes is what "Dear Diary" is about. Everyone makes them, boys included. The design contributes to this effect: It was simply a choice. She just wants them to know what they might be getting into. Oct 26, Phyllis rated it it was ok Shelves: Do people still hate Lesley Arfin? This was a pretty tedious read, and the only thing I liked about it was the Vanessa Davis illustrations.

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I just don't think there's any way you can make your teenage diary interesting, even with lengthy annotations and interviews with former friends. Sometimes there's tiny sparks of self-awareness and legit insight, but they're quickly extinguished by the endless sludge tide of dissecting stupid fights the author had when she was 16 years old. Why do so many wr Do people still hate Lesley Arfin? Why do so many writers who live in New York City think every single thing they say and do, no matter how mundane it is, is somehow compelling because they live in New York City?

There's a lot of talk about how she hopes this book will help creative, neurotic young women avoid her mistakes, but since a lot of what she writes is cloaked in multiple artichoke layers of irony, I have no idea if she was being sarcastic or not. Also, I irrationally hate the cover photo because Richard Kern is a hack and I wish aliens would abduct him and take him back to their home planet for study. Feb 17, Kate rated it it was ok Shelves: Lady Gaga fans put your paws up!

I liked the format a lot. I liked that she took the entries straight out of her personal diaries and then reflected upon it from her older self and interviewed the people involved with those entries. That was what made me stick with it and read it to the very end because Lesley Arfin has some big cajones for airing her personal laundry for all to see and read. But and it's a big one I didn't l 2. But and it's a big one I didn't like her spoiled bratty romanticism of her druggy ways.

I'll admit I have a huge problem reading about drug addiction in memoirs for this reason alone. Sure, she admitted there's nothing romantic about it, yet, she spent a ton of time rehashing those memories. I may not of come from Long Island, but I did come from upstate New York and saw way too many of my friends especially those who were really fantastically artsy die from heroin overdoses.

That's why I never felt the urge to experiment with these kinds of drugs, even though they were prevelant in the punk rock and rave scenes, which I would frequent for the music. However, even there I was considered an outcast for not experimenting enough. Oh well, at least I'm still alive and I'm glad Lesley is too. View all 6 comments. Aug 02, Colleen Weatherly rated it it was ok. Apr 22, Isabela Quintero rated it it was ok Shelves: Jan 31, Amelia rated it did not like it Shelves: I came across this book at a really cool bookstore in Baltimore where John Waters apparently picks up his fan mail.

I'd not heard of Lesley Arfin, but apparently she writes for Rookie and I adore Rookie and the aforementioned bookstore was also selling copies of Rookie Yearbook One.

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So I said, "What the hell" and decided to read it. And what a goddamned waste of time it was. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I had the world's most uneventful adolescence. But this book pissed me o I came across this book at a really cool bookstore in Baltimore where John Waters apparently picks up his fan mail. But this book pissed me off. Literally all I got out of it was "I'm a rich white girl whose parents cover all my bills so I can go to Hampshire College and do all kinds of drugs.

Dear Diary

And even though I completely fuck up consistently, I somehow manage to land an internship with a magazine and write stuff in New York CIty and ugh why doesn't anyone like me? She made an effort, in the afterward, to explain her point in publishing this diary, but it really didn't speak to me. And by no means do I mean to demonize addiction here. I get that it's an actual disease and not something that anyone should shun. But I just didn't appreciate how literally every diary entry from age 12 to 25 was like, "Whatever I'm just going to get high fuck everything. Has your perspective not changed at all in 13 years?

I feel like my review is very harsh. But in my defense, I read the book through 'til the end because I so hoped it would get better. But it just didn't. Aug 13, courtney rated it really liked it. Jun 28, Naomi rated it it was ok Recommends it for: Oh where do I begin I guess I will begin with I was very disappointed with this book. I read reviews that compares this book to "Go Ask Alice" Whoever wrote that needs to re-read that book and then re-read "Dear Diary". I think this book may have been able to be something great, well expect that Arfin lacks any seriously writing ability.

And that fact this junkie lived off of her parents money for years I mean you can't hate on someone for that, shit that would be the life. But then t Oh where do I begin But then to make a statement like, "it never accured to me that not everyone's parents help them out" I expected something great out of this book but it fell short, really really short. Sep 21, MariNaomi rated it it was amazing Shelves: Oh, and had I not been terrified of needles.

Lesley Arfin's journal entries and especially her observations from an older age really rang true to me, capturing the insecurities and desperation to please that I think all young girls go through. This book felt honest, thoughtful, and her writing style made me laugh aloud numerous times. Special excitement bonus points for the awesome illustrations by one of my favorite cartoonists, Vanessa Davis! Jun 07, Leonard Pierce rated it did not like it Shelves: Why does Vice keep sending me books?

I do not like them and sometimes, like this one, they have the word "frenemy" in them. And yet they keep showing up in my mailbox. Apr 17, Lila Dobbs added it.

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Sep 04, Becca rated it it was amazing. Love - love - love.

A shocking turn to a woman's life and her gritty recollection of some dark times in her life. This woman has come a long way and is someone who is remarkably talented. Dec 29, Julie G rated it did not like it Shelves: I picked this one up at McKays because the cover reminded me a lot of Mortified edited by David Nagel , which I enjoyed.

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Edit Cast Credited cast: Gary Brian Kerwin Haviland Morris Edit Storyline The film revolves around a New York magazine art director, married and the mother of two, who, having just turned 40, decides to record the events of her day in a journal. Edit Did You Know? Trivia A rejected pilot for a network comedy series, it became not only an Oscar winner for Best Short Film, but it became the first DreamWorks production to win an Oscar.

Add the first question. I suppose having permission to read one's diary does take away a little bit of the fun. I should've read the author's articles or blog beforehand. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by Arfin's writing style, of course not the "diary entries" alone but the whole story telling book. I thought this book was great. I loved the diary entries and her narrations that followed taking place during present time. If you ever wrote in a diary when you were younger you will get a kick out of this book because it brings you back to all that middle school and high school drama, when you think everything is the end of the world.

Though some of the subject matters were tough like later in the book with heroin it was still a very pleasant and light read for me. I thought it was very funny too: I loved this book! There were many relatable situations and it was hilarious and awkward to read the authors perspective as an adult. See all 38 reviews.

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