At the Center of All Beauty

By Fenton Johnson,

Book cover of At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life

Book description

Fenton Johnson's lyrical prose and searching sensibility explore what it means to choose solitude and to celebrate the notion that solitude is a legitimate and dignified calling. He delves into the lives and works of nearly a dozen iconic solitaries he considers his kindred spirits, from Thoreau at Walden Pond…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked At the Center of All Beauty as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The stars of this book are “solitaries,” people who choose to live alone or spend substantial stretches of time alone. Upending the demeaning caricatures of people who spend a lot of time alone, Johson shows that some of the most renowned artists and authors have been solitaries.

They have rich inner lives and contribute meaningfully to society. Even unknown solitaries are artists–they design their own lives. Solitaries value friendship and do not see romantic relationships as sitting atop a relationship hierarchy. Free of a conventional focus on The One, they are more open to more different people and the world.

From Bella's list on joyfull single people at heart.

Want books like At the Center of All Beauty?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like At the Center of All Beauty.

Browse books like At the Center of All Beauty

Book cover of The Trespasser
Book cover of No Thanks: Black, Female, and Living in the Martyr-Free Zone
Book cover of Live Alone and Like It: The Classic Guide for the Single Woman

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,187

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in gay men, loneliness, and the creative process?

Gay Men 132 books
Loneliness 36 books