Joe Brainard: I Remember

I Remember is a small book, 167 pages of statements all beginning with "I remember." Joe Brainard was born in 1941. He was a painter and artist, and this little book is an art piece itself. His memories are an assortment of pop culture ("I remember 'Love Me Tender,'" "I remember the Liz-Eddit-Debbie scandal") to food ("I remember 'Payday' candy bars and eating the peanuts off first then eating the center part," "I remember 'Spam.'") and sexuality ("I remember getting erections in school and the bell rings and how handy zipper notebooks were," "I remember jerking off to sexual fantasies involving John Kerr. And Montgomery Clift.")Most of the memories are only 10-20 words, but the longest reach a page (there are only two or three that long, I think.) Reading this is fun. They almost serve as writing prompts, or at least memory prompts, which get you thinking about what you remember too. It's also fun to track Brainard's stream-of-consciousness way of writing. Sometimes you can see how one memory relates to the next, and sometimes it requires quite a leap in logic to get there.Brainard's images are crisp and clear and he often paints these pictures with very few words. And he hits so many notes. You laugh, you cry! By using "I remember..." before each one, Brainard inspires the reader to response. "Hey, I remember that too!" or "That reminds me of..." It makes reading this book an interactive experience.

If anyone is familiar with Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire", this is very similar. Joe Brainard puts together a wide compilation of personal, social, cultural, and economic memories across the span of over 100 pages. Despite the fact that I was born in 1986 and cannot relate to everything in the book, this does not stop it from being amazing. It gives a representation of not only higher order memory, but also, perhaps more importantly, humanity.This book, though not widely known, has been used repeatedly in schools and even in psychological lessons for students and clients alike to reach back into their memories and remember not only the simple things, but the complex as well. It ranges from what fresh cut grass smells like on a Sunday morning to personal experiences that Joe, as a young gay man, experienced finding himself in a world unkind to such life choices.The book is powerful, moving, easy to read, has a sense of familiarity, and can speak across the generations.

Memories of things no longer - observations without being sappy. A specific structure. Each sentence/memory directly begins with 'I remember'. Bought several copies for friends. Would've liked the small book to be hardback, the precious object that it is. An important work by an artist that we lost too soon.

This is the first book I have ever thrown into the trash after reading the first 10 pages. Normally if I don't care for a book, I give it away. And this is my first review with only 1 star. I really don't want anyone to waste their time trying to read this book. I thought I was buying a book with sweet, fun and memorable reflections from years ago. Instead the book includes self-absorbed remembrances written in a distasteful, crass, and offensive way. I'm not one who is easily offended but the instances this author chose to relate leave me with a very low opinion of him. Please don't waste your time or money on this book.

A highly rewarding read for those interested in one of the New York School's most endearing, original, and philosophically lively. We want to remember Joe Brainard and how he sees the world.

So amazing. I used this with my writing class to generate "I remember" reaposes.

This is wonderful, gut wrenching. Beautiful.

I see no value at all in reading Brainard's reflections. I had hoped from the title that he would remember significant events that would be relevant to more than just himself. This is just another unnecessary addition to the literature of the "me" generation.

nothing trawls memory's depths like this unusual autobiography

Although the references to some aspects of 40s/50s American life are now somewhat obscured by time and cultural specifics this is a little gem of a book, perceptive, funny and inspirational. A wholly idiosyncratic approach to biography.

Stagioni, bambini, giocattoli, adulti, scuola, adolescenza, parenti e sconosciuti, gioie, paure, figure indefinite e colori nitidissimi: ecco i ricordi di vita di Joe Brainard – frammentati, raccattati, riportati alla rinfusa. In I remember non c’è nessun ordine cronologico, nessun nesso causale, solo ricordi riportati così, come vengono in mente. Pur non avendo trama, pur non avendo personaggi (fatta eccezione per il narratore, che però non si palesa mai per davvero), questo libro è davvero in grado di far viaggiare il lettore. Io sono di un’altra epoca rispetto all’autore (lui era già morto quando io sono nata), eppure ho trovato tanti attimi e tante emozioni in comune con lui, ho ritrovato tratti di me nella sua infanzia.Insomma, lettura appassionante, per niente impegnativa, incredibilmente nostalgica. Un memoir da gustare con calma.Recensione completa sul blog vuoiconoscereuncasino.it