Dancing on My Own: Essays on Art, Collectivity, and Joy by Simon Wu

A Literary Hub Most Noteworthy Nonfiction Book of 2024 • A Brooklyn Rail Best Art Book of 2024 • A The Millions and Hyperallergic Most Anticipated Book of 2024 • A Publishers Weekly Summer Reads Pick "A book that emerges out of the moment, electric with timely energies." –Washington Post “Keen and refreshing.” –Cathy Park Hong "Genius." –Claudia Rankine An expansive and deeply personal essay collection which explores the aesthetics of class aspiration, the complications of creating art and fashion, and the limits of identity politics. In Robyn’s 2010 track Dancing on My Own, the Swedish pop-singer chronicles a night on the dance floor in the shadow of a former lover. She is bitter, angry, and at times desperate, and yet by the time the chorus arrives her frustration has melted away. She decides to dance on her own, and in this way, she transforms her solitude into a more complex joy.      Taking inspiration from Robyn’s seminal track, emerging art critic and curator Simon Wu dances thr