Tanya Davis's poem "How to Be Alone" debuted as a YouTube video, animated by Andrea Dorfman, in 2010; it has garnered nearly six million views since then. The poem now appears in book form, accompanied by Dorfman's colorful illustrations.
"If you are at first lonely, be patient," Davis begins, her words appearing in loopy white cursive beside a lone bright pink sock hanging on a clothesline among pairs. By the time the sock has found its quirky, striped mate, Davis is gently urging readers to embrace solitude. "Start simple," she says, extolling the pleasures of solo baths, quiet hours at the coffee shop, even public transportation ("because we all gotta go places"). Then, she advises, take yourself to the movies, out to dinner, even dancing--in a pair of orange high heels, of course.
How to Be Alone is not only a paean to solitude, but a call to pay attention to the world: to sit on a bench and notice strangers, to explore unfamiliar cities and snowy woods, to "translate your thoughts" and truly listen to them. "Society is afraid of alone," Davis admits, but, she insists, "alone is a freedom that breathes easy and weightless, and lonely is healing if you make it."
Dorfman's watercolor illustrations, full of whimsical details, will inspire a new respect for aloneness and its quiet but rich rewards. How to Be Alone is the perfect gift for people who cherish solitude or find themselves thrust into it unexpectedly. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams