No One Should Follow My Example: The Millions Interviews Chelsea Martin
When I was in high school, I fantasized about the kind of artistic life I would have in college, one where I would master my craft and then truly show the world what a genius I was, even though, at that point, I didn’t even have craft to call my own. Then, in college, I took an Art 101 class. This is it, I thought. What I was always meant for. But I never seriously pursued art—instead, I majored in journalism and graduated just in time for the collapse of the newspaper sector. I never became a journalist. Shortly after, I discovered the work of Chelsea Martin via her book Caca Dolce, a collection of essays about coming of age as an artist amid financial obstacles, among many others. It was, to say the least, relatable.
So I was thrilled to dig into Martin’s latest novel , which follows a young art student named Joey as she struggles to complete a self-portraiture project. Martin’s penchant for satire and dark humor, plus her profound counter, continue to amaze me. I spoke with Martin about writing comedically, the
