Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness
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- Create Date：2021-09-12 07:50:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kristen Radtke
- ISBN：1524748064
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
From the acclaimed author of Imagine Wanting Only This--a timely and moving meditation on isolation and longing， both as individuals and as a society。
There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness。 Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood， loneliness is everywhere， from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns。
In Seek You， Kristen Radtke's wide-ranging exploration of our inner lives and public selves， Radtke digs into the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another， and the distance that remains。 Through the lenses of gender and violence， technology and art， Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing， and shares what feels impossible to share。
Ranging from the invention of the laugh-track to the rise of Instagram， the bootstrap-pulling cowboy to the brutal experiments of Harry Harlow， Radtke investigates why we engage with each other， and what we risk when we turn away。 With her distinctive， emotionally charged drawings and deeply empathetic prose， Kristen Radtke masterfully shines a light on some of our most vulnerable and sublime moments， and asks how we might keep the spaces between us from splitting entirely。
There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness。 Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood， loneliness is everywhere， from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns。
In Seek You， Kristen Radtke's wide-ranging exploration of our inner lives and public selves， Radtke digs into the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another， and the distance that remains。 Through the lenses of gender and violence， technology and art， Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing， and shares what feels impossible to share。
Ranging from the invention of the laugh-track to the rise of Instagram， the bootstrap-pulling cowboy to the brutal experiments of Harry Harlow， Radtke investigates why we engage with each other， and what we risk when we turn away。 With her distinctive， emotionally charged drawings and deeply empathetic prose， Kristen Radtke masterfully shines a light on some of our most vulnerable and sublime moments， and asks how we might keep the spaces between us from splitting entirely。
Reviews
Nancy Smith
，
Beautiful， but depressing graphic novel。
Beth Heltebridle
，
For a graphic novel， I savored this read - stretching it over days。 And when I finished， I immediately wanted to pick it up again。 Beautiful， illuminating， sad， and hopeful。
Zach Krohn
，
I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel， which was essentially a woman's meditation on loneliness in various forms （and how it differs from being alone）。 By citing research both scientific and anecdotal， the author explores how American culture has been shaped （sometimes inadvertently） by the quest for connection。 The graphic novel didn't always have the clearest through-line， but I enjoyed the trip。 It hit on a lot of topics and themes I've been ruminating on personally， so it was a great t I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel， which was essentially a woman's meditation on loneliness in various forms （and how it differs from being alone）。 By citing research both scientific and anecdotal， the author explores how American culture has been shaped （sometimes inadvertently） by the quest for connection。 The graphic novel didn't always have the clearest through-line， but I enjoyed the trip。 It hit on a lot of topics and themes I've been ruminating on personally， so it was a great time to encounter this book。 。。。more
Douglas
，
I love how her well researched text integrate with her sensitive artwork。 This is a bold， intelligent book about a timeless， universal subject。My only caveat is the one I expressed in an update。 There was no reason to burden this book with transitory digs at current political figures。 It's only going to decrease the shelf life of an important book。 I love how her well researched text integrate with her sensitive artwork。 This is a bold， intelligent book about a timeless， universal subject。My only caveat is the one I expressed in an update。 There was no reason to burden this book with transitory digs at current political figures。 It's only going to decrease the shelf life of an important book。 。。。more
Jessica Gavin
，
Holy shit this book was BLEAK。 Usually I fly through graphic novels in a day but I could not stomach more than 50 pages of this at a time。 Maybe it’s because I saw so much of myself in this book。 That’s not unique， I think a lot of people will。 Although it ends on a teeny hopeful note， this was mostly just…sad。 Be in the right headspace to read it
Joshua
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I had to take this one in small doses。 It certainly does a great job tackling a tough subject that should be discussed more openly。 Overall， this was a well researched， albeit depressing， book with some nice illustrations。
Jazz
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Is this an ad for the cuddle industry？
Grg
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Some interesting antidotes， but mostly this is the type of stale click-bait think pieces that appear in magazines and buzzsites every week。 "Is social media making us lonely？ Are selfies a sign of the decline of society？" Yawn。 Some interesting antidotes， but mostly this is the type of stale click-bait think pieces that appear in magazines and buzzsites every week。 "Is social media making us lonely？ Are selfies a sign of the decline of society？" Yawn。 。。。more
Storm
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The title tells us this graphic novel is about a journey through American loneliness - presented in graphic novel， with each chapter telling us something different about the nature of loneliness as it applies to different types of people:-■ Introduction - author was contemplating writing about loneliness when the 2019 COVID pandemic hit and made it a socially relevant construct。"If loneliness can cause us to lose sense of what is real， how do we function within a country that is constantly telli The title tells us this graphic novel is about a journey through American loneliness - presented in graphic novel， with each chapter telling us something different about the nature of loneliness as it applies to different types of people:-■ Introduction - author was contemplating writing about loneliness when the 2019 COVID pandemic hit and made it a socially relevant construct。"If loneliness can cause us to lose sense of what is real， how do we function within a country that is constantly telling us what we trust and know cannot be trusted or known？"Listen1: In Amateur Radio （Ham） operators call out using CQ call， which sounds like the first two letters of International Telecommunications French word Securite （meaning pay attention） that English speakers took to mean "seek you。"2。 Television's laugh tracks "teach" us what to find funny and when to laugh， because human audiences are too unpredictable。 Also television causes people to enjoy stuff at home， making some even lonelier。■ 3。 Loneliness is a public health issueWatch■ Watch 1: The myth of the lone cowboyWatch 2: The Brain's Reaction to Social Rejection is almost identical to how it experiences physical pain。 Lots of mass shooters have been described as social misfits， the euphemism for "loners"Click 1: The internet has made people even lonelier。Click 2: A person live tweets their own husband's death then surprises viewers by saying she has gained followers 。。。 。。。more
MadGhostOBrownHollow
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This book covers all topics of loneliness， from the influence of fictional stereotypes， to the use of technology， to many philosophical and scientific studies （particularly Harlow’s monkeys， an experiment that isn’t unknown but one I was unfamiliar with）。 It paints loneliness and our need for community in a poetic fashion。 It’s something you can get swept into， and some lines are so incredibly eye-opening it’s like being doused with cold water。 The book for me felt like it was grazing a familiar This book covers all topics of loneliness， from the influence of fictional stereotypes， to the use of technology， to many philosophical and scientific studies （particularly Harlow’s monkeys， an experiment that isn’t unknown but one I was unfamiliar with）。 It paints loneliness and our need for community in a poetic fashion。 It’s something you can get swept into， and some lines are so incredibly eye-opening it’s like being doused with cold water。 The book for me felt like it was grazing a familiar topic， but it painted it in a light much clearer and hopeful than one usually would regard loneliness。 Wether after reading Seek You you feel more lonely or less， it makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger。 。。。more
Sandra Armor
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Rounding up from 3。5 stars。 Some interesting stuff here。 Loved the graphics， but the text was kind of meandering and I don’t know that the book accomplished anything。
Paul Cochrun
，
How has the loneliness become somehow ingrained into our way of life？ The solitary cowboy on the range… the laugh-tracks that keep us watching our favorite shows “with an audience…” and now a pandemic that kept us in four walls for an entire year。Radtke’s book is far-reaching and gives the reader a great range of topics to meditate on。 Yet， I did find the connection between each topic to be a reach at times。 And even the connection between the topics and loneliness was tenuous…As for the artwork How has the loneliness become somehow ingrained into our way of life？ The solitary cowboy on the range… the laugh-tracks that keep us watching our favorite shows “with an audience…” and now a pandemic that kept us in four walls for an entire year。Radtke’s book is far-reaching and gives the reader a great range of topics to meditate on。 Yet， I did find the connection between each topic to be a reach at times。 And even the connection between the topics and loneliness was tenuous…As for the artwork， I appreciated that some drawings were independent of the text。 It got away from that feeling of picture/ caption that many nonfiction graphic novels get into。Overall， this is a mixed review… I liked several parts of the book， but didn’t feel the overall themes connect with any sort of conclusion。 Are there any answers？3 out of 5 stars 。。。more
Maggie Sullivan
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I loved the format of this book--graphic memoir？！ So experimental and cool。 Beautiful artwork。 Stunning connections between history， science， psychology， pop culture， and personal anecdotes。 Sometimes the shift between all these concepts felt too abrupt， though， and made it harder to dwell on/appreciate the beauty of each scene。
Becky
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The format of the graphic novel made the subject of loneliness seem more tangible and real。 The simple act of limiting thoughts to a page or a small box with lines isolating and separating them from others made a magnificent impact。 I might have learned more about loneliness research from a traditional non-fiction book， but this book left me with a greater understanding。
Nora
，
I have become an enormous fan of the graphic novel in the past several years - an accessible and visually stimulating way to tell a story。 Radtke does it so incredibly well。 In "Seek You" she takes a subject that can be hard to talk about， let alone quantify， and then she does both。 Sometimes not an easy read but so well done。 I have become an enormous fan of the graphic novel in the past several years - an accessible and visually stimulating way to tell a story。 Radtke does it so incredibly well。 In "Seek You" she takes a subject that can be hard to talk about， let alone quantify， and then she does both。 Sometimes not an easy read but so well done。 。。。more
Edward Champion
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A beautiful and thoughtful volume on loneliness， many of the contributing scientific and media innovations that got us to where we are， and memory and identity。 This was a pleasant meditative surprise。 Radtke's ruminations are reminiscent of a young Alison Bechdel at times and her art is both striking and subtle。 For anyone who has conjured the bigger picture of societal cues and is looking for more ideas on this， this is a wonderful book。 A beautiful and thoughtful volume on loneliness， many of the contributing scientific and media innovations that got us to where we are， and memory and identity。 This was a pleasant meditative surprise。 Radtke's ruminations are reminiscent of a young Alison Bechdel at times and her art is both striking and subtle。 For anyone who has conjured the bigger picture of societal cues and is looking for more ideas on this， this is a wonderful book。 。。。more
Rachel
，
In the first pages of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness， Kristen Radtke’s sophomore work， she explains that radio operators call out across frequencies with what is known as a “CQ call，” named as such because “CQ” sounds like the first syllable of sécurité， or “pay attention，” in French。 In English， radio users took to calling it “seek you。” In this graphic work of nonfiction， Kristen Radtke explores this concept of reaching outward， turning the CQ call into a metaphorical represen In the first pages of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness， Kristen Radtke’s sophomore work， she explains that radio operators call out across frequencies with what is known as a “CQ call，” named as such because “CQ” sounds like the first syllable of sécurité， or “pay attention，” in French。 In English， radio users took to calling it “seek you。” In this graphic work of nonfiction， Kristen Radtke explores this concept of reaching outward， turning the CQ call into a metaphorical representation of 21st century American existence。With a muted palette of mostly blues， greens and oranges， Radtke illustrates a series of graphic essays， each devoted to a different sociological study or phenomenon or observation on loneliness。You can read my full review HERE on BookBrowse and you can read a piece I wrote about graphic works of nonfiction HERE。 。。。more
Megan
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I liked this a lot， even though I'm an introvert who likes to be alone a good 75% of the time。 I liked this a lot， even though I'm an introvert who likes to be alone a good 75% of the time。 。。。more
Cheryl
，
3。5 Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke is an exploration “and moving meditation on isolation and longing， both as individuals and as a society。” （publisher）。 I don’t read a ton of graphic novels and they’ve usually been for kids， but this one was on my radar for how timely the topic of loneliness is and what a pervasive feeling it can be for many of us。 The book is also not shelved in the typical area for graphic novels （741。5 to get librarian geeky）， rather it’s i 3。5 Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke is an exploration “and moving meditation on isolation and longing， both as individuals and as a society。” （publisher）。 I don’t read a ton of graphic novels and they’ve usually been for kids， but this one was on my radar for how timely the topic of loneliness is and what a pervasive feeling it can be for many of us。 The book is also not shelved in the typical area for graphic novels （741。5 to get librarian geeky）， rather it’s in 155。92 where non-fiction Psychology books are shelved although many libraries will pull it out and place it alongside the other graphic novels so it’s not lost in the non-fiction shelves。 I thought this was an interesting mix of the author’s own experiences of loneliness juxtaposed with the history of loneliness and is an interesting way to take in a topic through a graphic novel。 The illustrations are beautiful。 It made me want to read more books like this。 I think many of us can identify with the feelings she shares especially after this garbage last year and a half。 But I will say the book made me really sad and I expected a bit more hope than was offered？ It kind of ended abruptly in a few pages after a few hundred pages of defining and building。 It made me worry about us all and think what can be done。 。。。more
Emily Kleinhenz
，
“A CQ call is a reaching outward， an attempt to make a connection across a wavelength with someone you’ve never met。 It means essentially， ‘is there anyone out there？’ And invites anyone listening to answer。”Part memoir and part history， this book eloquently depicts loneliness in America。 Loneliness has been around for a very long time and there are many ways it can be shown and can effect you。 There are so many people who deal with loneliness， though loneliness will have you believing that you “A CQ call is a reaching outward， an attempt to make a connection across a wavelength with someone you’ve never met。 It means essentially， ‘is there anyone out there？’ And invites anyone listening to answer。”Part memoir and part history， this book eloquently depicts loneliness in America。 Loneliness has been around for a very long time and there are many ways it can be shown and can effect you。 There are so many people who deal with loneliness， though loneliness will have you believing that you are the only one。 Certainly， in these modern times， especially during COVID， this book is important。 Though it can be absolutely devastating at points， this book， at least with me， was somehow a comfort in the end。I would highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Vivienne Strauss
，
You will never think about life the same way after reading。 On another note- this is the 2nd or 3rd time in the past year that Harry Harlow's "study" of rhesus monkeys has shown up in my reading。 I hope there is a special kind of hell for him。 You will never think about life the same way after reading。 On another note- this is the 2nd or 3rd time in the past year that Harry Harlow's "study" of rhesus monkeys has shown up in my reading。 I hope there is a special kind of hell for him。 。。。more
Elena L。
，
" Perhaps we see loneliness in others simply to feel less lonely ourselves。""Loneliness is one of the most universal things any person can feel。" In SEEK YOU， Radtke captures the depth of human loneliness。 Through personal， historical and scientific lenses， loneliness is scanned in our mundane routine。 It was interesting to read about the difference between loneliness and aloneness; how socially distanced and social rejection/exclusion （exacerbated by the pandemic） justify some of the extreme s " Perhaps we see loneliness in others simply to feel less lonely ourselves。""Loneliness is one of the most universal things any person can feel。" In SEEK YOU， Radtke captures the depth of human loneliness。 Through personal， historical and scientific lenses， loneliness is scanned in our mundane routine。 It was interesting to read about the difference between loneliness and aloneness; how socially distanced and social rejection/exclusion （exacerbated by the pandemic） justify some of the extreme social behaviors such as aggression and strong impulse; and also how loneliness is often associated with newness and major life changes。I also found engrossing the fact that childhood experiences， such as overprotection， influence the loneliness and fear of intimacy amongst adolescents and adults。 The contrast of dark/light palette heightens the sense of loneliness in the pages， enriched by psychological analysis and experimental studies。 This graphic novel enforces the disconnection attributed by the technology - especially social media - showing that what we post isn't representational extension of who we are， then conveying the false impression of socially connected and "all-happiness"。 Furthermore， loneliness is interwoven with American history， which events are meticulously presented and examined。All in all， SEEK YOU drives you into a journey of vulnerability and reflection。 I do recommend this graphic novel。[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Pantheon Books - in exchange for an honest review ] 。。。more
Mark
，
“If loneliness can cause us to lose sense of what is real， how do we function within a country that is constantly telling us what we trust and know cannot be trusted or known。”“There is a reason that， short of execution， banishment was the harshest punishment a king could bestow。”“If we no longer feel tethered to the communities our species was molded into needing， the act of posting a selfie or a carefully edited portrait of our banal domestic lives could just be a muted form of personal rescue “If loneliness can cause us to lose sense of what is real， how do we function within a country that is constantly telling us what we trust and know cannot be trusted or known。”“There is a reason that， short of execution， banishment was the harshest punishment a king could bestow。”“If we no longer feel tethered to the communities our species was molded into needing， the act of posting a selfie or a carefully edited portrait of our banal domestic lives could just be a muted form of personal rescue。”Using the graphic novel format， Radtke explores loneliness， in all it’s different forms。 A meditation on longing and isolation。 She goes deep here and has really done her research。 There is plenty to ponder here。 The author has suffered through these various maladies herself， for most of her adult life， so she has an insider’s grasp on this topic。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more
David
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As I started to listen to this audiobook that was less than 2 hours， supposedly unabridged， but for a book that was nearly 400 pages long， I was trying to figure out why that math wasn't working （a typical page being about 2 minutes of audio）， and then I learned that it was a graphic novel。 So then I wondered if there was any point to listening to an audiobook for a graphic novel。 The narrative holds well without the imagery but， for good measure， I borrowed the ebook version from my library and As I started to listen to this audiobook that was less than 2 hours， supposedly unabridged， but for a book that was nearly 400 pages long， I was trying to figure out why that math wasn't working （a typical page being about 2 minutes of audio）， and then I learned that it was a graphic novel。 So then I wondered if there was any point to listening to an audiobook for a graphic novel。 The narrative holds well without the imagery but， for good measure， I borrowed the ebook version from my library and skimmed through the art work to get an idea of the full experience。 In the end， it only works well in that format。 The audio makes for the start of an essay， but seems too rushed。 I like what the author has to say about the widespread sensation of loneliness （particularly how it is our "sense" more than our circumstances that defines loneliness）， but just couldn't fully get into this manner of presentation。 。。。more
Angela
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Very cool visuals and pretty though provoking ideas。
Starsailor1234
，
I have no words， just wow。 💙
Shannon McLean
，
This book was written for me。 Holy crap。
Martijn
，
Graphic mon-fiction book about the thing that has for various reasons bothered me the most during the pandemic: loneliness。 Relatable， comforting and something that kept me going until we can hug again。 And until we can visit America again。
Erin
，
There were so many bits in here that just hit me over the head。 The way loneliness can be contagious， the way that loneliness leaves people ripe for manipulation， the way that loneliness is not about being alone but about there being too big a gap between your relationship expectations and reality， and just so much。 I want to read it again。
Jeff
，