The Andy Warhol Diaries (1989) – Edited by Pat Hackett
The Andy Warhol Diaries is a sprawling, unfiltered glimpse into the private world of Andy Warhol, one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic artists. Compiled and edited by his longtime collaborator Pat Hackett, the book is based on Warhol’s daily phone conversations with Hackett between 1976 and his death in 1987. Published posthumously in 1989, the diaries chronicle Warhol’s whirlwind life—from his obsessive chronicling of expenses ($2.50 for a slice of cake) to his candid, often gossipy observations about celebrities (Bianca Jagger, Truman Capote, Jean-Michel Basquiat), artists, and the New York social scene.
Written in Warhol’s signature deadpan tone—equal parts naive and shrewd—the entries reveal his contradictions: the shy voyeur who craved fame, the devout Catholic who reveled in decadence, and the artist who masked deep vulnerability with irony. The diaries also document his creative process, friendships, and anxieties, offering a backstage pass to the birth of Pop Art and the gritty glamour of 1970s–80s Manhattan.
For Readers Captivated by Warhol’s World:
- POPism: The Warhol Sixties (Andy Warhol & Pat Hackett, 1980) – Warhol’s own account of his rise to fame.
- Just Kids (Patti Smith, 2010) – A poetic memoir of New York’s art scene in the 1970s.
- The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (1975) – Warhol’s musings on love, beauty, and superficiality.
