Tell Me Im an Artist, Chelsea Martin
Tell Me Im an Artist, Chelsea Martin
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Tell Me I'm an Artist

Author: Chelsea Martin

Narrator: Devon Sorvari

Unabridged: 7 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/20/2022

Synopsis

This hilarious and incisive coming-of-age novel about an art student from a poor family struggling to find her place in a new social class of rich, well-connected peersAt her San Francisco art school, Joey enrolls in a film elective that requires her to complete what seems like a straightforward assignment: create a self-portrait. Joey inexplicably decides to remake Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, despite having never seen the movie.As this story unfolds over the course of the semester, the assignment hangs over her as she struggles to exist in a well-heeled world that is hugely different from any she has known.Miles away, Joey’s sister goes missing, leaving her toddler with their mother, who in turn suggests that Joey might be the selfish one for pursuing her dreams. Meanwhile, her only friend at school, the enigmatic Suz, makes meaningful, appealing art, a product of Suz’s own singular drive and talent as well as decades of careful nurturing by wealthy, sophisticated parents.Perfect for fans of Elif Batuman’s The Idiot and Weike Wang’s Chemistry, this masterful novel examines the invisible divide created by class and privilege, ruminates on the shame that follows choosing a path that has not been laid out for you, and interrogates what makes someone an artist at all.

About Chelsea Martin

Chelsea Martin is the author of the essay collection Caca Dolce and the novella Mickey, among other books. She lives in Spokane, Washington, with her husband and child. Find out more at CacaDolce.com.

About Devon Sorvari

Devon Sorvari is an Earphones Award–winning and Audie Award–nominated narrator. She graduated from NYU’s Circle in the Square program and the Classical Studio. She has nationwide theater credits ranging from Shakespeare to musicals.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tao

"What was an artist but someone who wanted to be understood but didn't know how to communicate normally?"......more

Goodreads review by Sunny

Solid book about class and art making and womanhood and gesturing at the inherently ephemeral…. Yayyyy......more

Goodreads review by luce (cry baby)

❀ blog ❀ thestorygraph ❀ letterboxd ❀ tumblr ❀ ko-fi ❀ 3 ½ stars Restrained yet acutely realistic, Tell Me I’m An Artistpresents its readers with the unfinished portrait of an artist as a young woman. Throughout the course of this novel, we read of the trials and tribulations of an art school stude......more

Goodreads review by Tina

I loved this book! TELL ME I’M AN ARTIST by Chelsea Martin is an amazing novel! It’s about Joey, who’s trying to navigate her new life at a San Francisco art school. In her film class she’s assigned to make a self-portrait and decides to remake the movie Rushmore despite never seeing the movie. I lo......more

Quotes

“Narrator Devon Sorvari captivates listeners with her magnificent portrayal of Joey…It’s a joy to listen to Sorvari’s wondrous portrait of a young woman who is learning to trust others and finding her path. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.” AudioFile

“Perfectly probes the collision of financial insecurity and artistic self-doubt.” NPR

“The great contemporary American novel about class. Martin’s debut captures the often unconsidered ways that class will shape a life.” Seattle Times

“A novel for anyone who’s ever thought, ‘WTF am I doing?’ about their art.” Nylon

“It’s the larger feminist question ungirding these pages that gives the book its weight: What do women owe their families? And what happens when they cut those ties to become artists?” San Francisco Chronicle

“A resonant and moving portrait of an artist searching for her identity.” Chicago Review of Books

“The art school comedy of manners gives way to a deeper story…An unconventional and subtly powerful coming-of-age story.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“An intimate, funny, and poignant portrait of a youthful, artful life in flux.” Shondaland

“A stunning, hilarious, perfect ode to growing up and growing into yourself…A masterpiece and a piece of comedic genius.” Literary Hub

“Delineates the way the creative process can be a conduit for either self-discovery or self-annihilation.” KQED Arts (San Francisco)

Awards

  • Nylon Magazine Pick
  • AudioFile Earphones Award
  • Millions.com Pick
  • Literary Hub Pick
  • NPR Best Book of the Year
  • Seattle Times Best Book
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