Jon-Michael Frank

Is This the Right Color to Prove I Don't Have a Shitty Life by Jon-Michael Frank is one of those books that make you wonder if civilization really is on the decline. Pointless, vacuous, and very few truly meaningful insights.

As someone who has suffered with depression and the many peripheral issues that come with it, I usually find work like this to be helpful and humorous, though mostly in the humorous because I can relate mode. There are, to be fair, a few (very few) such moments here. Most seem forced though I am hard pressed to understand for what reason. Sympathy? I wouldn't think so. To help others? Nothing forced is very helpful for anyone, so again, I don't think so. To get published? I don't know his history and based on the "drawings" and the words I have no desire to know it, so I just don't know. The book he did with another person is every bit as dreadful as this one, so I am at a loss.

There is a reason that art, as well as music, therapy is better of left in the therapist's office, it might be earth-moving for the patient but neutral at best to others. To have a picture of sprinkling salt on a snail with the words "do what you love" next to it doesn't represent depression or anxiety but something far more evil and sinister. To encourage such behavior is reprehensible at best. Therapy definitely has not helped in his case and perhaps the authorities should check for suspicious deaths wherever he has lived.

I don't recommend this, it has 2 stars instead of 1 only because the handful that seemed genuine were pretty good.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.… (more)