As a creative professional, I enjoyed this read and the author's attention to different art forms and how they've been affected by rapid changes in the socioeconomic landscape.

In this social commentary, the author explores how independent artists are struggling in the modern economy. While the summary and theory presented did entice me to request the book, I had a hard time actually reading it. I do, however, believe that independent artists or their supporters can benefit from Deresiewicz' analysis.

The Death of the Artist was an all-around solid nonfiction work about what has happened to make the lives of artists (music, TV, film, visual) even harder over the last two decades: piracy, demonetization, Big Tech. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Deresiewicz cites many example of how the "middle class" of art is dying, and concludes the book by offering thoughts on how artists and the larger population can fight back.

Something I found impressive about this book, is the seamless juxtaposition of statistics along side personal stories. It is well informed both by the number and by going and talking directly to the source, that is the artists themselves. The author well-frames unifying similarities facing the different industries, without sacrificing discussion of important differences between them.

Compared to some other nonfiction I've read in the past year, this book is well organized. I knew where it was going the whole time. The main points were laid out early in the book, then well reinforced the further I read. Probably my largest criticism is over-diligence. Each medium-specific chapter had at least six extended example narratives following an artist's personal story, which felt like a little overkill.

Deresiewicz isn't afraid to add a "fuck you" where necessary, for example, when rebuffing the attitude that piracy is OK. This is an appreciated touch that some author's might shy away from.

I came to this book, at least in part because I've been a huge music fan for so many years. If you're a fan of any of the Arts, you can't really go wrong reading this book to better inform yourself of the current landscape. Like me, you may have some idea of the kinds of things detailed here, but regardless it will almost certainly broaden your insight and perspective, and more importantly connect you to the perspective of those suffering most.

This book is smart, compelling, and a wonderful read. The author’s voice is tremendous and the argument is sensible and real. Highly recommended.