“If you’re lonely, this one’s for you.”

Such is the dedication of the book “The Lonely City” by Olivia Laing, a cultural criticism that takes an in-depth look into the inner workings of loneliness through the lives of some of our most beloved, and prolific artists.

Laing got the idea for the book while living in New York City. Originally from England, she had met an American man, fallen in love and was invited to move to New York to be his lady. Sadly, just has Laing uprooted herself from London, he broke things off.

Being already in limbo she decided to make the move to New York City anyway and found herself completely alone in a large city without a single friend and no family to help her find way.

She consoled herself by exploring the city on her own and poking around the extensive art museums New York City offers. Gazing at the pieces by artists like Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Henry Darger and David Wojnarowicz, Laing saw the thread of loneliness stitching them all together, herself included.

Intrigued by this, Laing dove deeper. Gaining access to the archives of these artists, she read personal diaries, letters, watched home movies and saw writings never before released to the public. From the loneliness inflicted from lost love, the forced seclusion of foreign language, the walls mental illness produces to the way physical, emotional and sexual abuse keep their victims from ever being able to connect with others, Laing saw it all. Broken hearts, minds, bodies and lives laid out in paint, canvas, words and film.

Written impeccably Laing swings back and forth between the lives of these men and the works they produced, weaving a masterpiece that will break you down only to build you back up.

For some this book will be your everything. For others, it will be a mirror reflecting an image too painful to look at for long. For me, it was the resetting of a broken heart that needed very much to heal.

Ultimately, if you’re lonely, this one really is for you.