As a poetry enthusiast and an unconventional storytelling enjoyer, Growing Up the Antichrist by David Armillei was the perfect read. This experimental memoir challenged my expectations of what a memoir should be. I’ve never read another like it. It presented a collection of heartful pieces that felt more like expressions of raw emotion. Of course the poetry is what first drew me in, but then I found myself captivated by the author’s reflections on the challenges he’d faced in life. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, it stirs up nostalgia and addresses that feeling of oddness, that you are different from others. It’s a powerful and moving read that I think anyone going through young adulthood would find relatable and compelling. I highly recommend it to those seeking a new, unique type of exploration of journeying to self-discovery.
Growing Up the Antichrist: An Experimental Memoir
“What you are holding in your hands is a curious thing. This book is a memoir, although certainly not a traditional one. Call it an ‘experimental, intellectual memoir.'”
So begins this startling and compelling collection of 40 pieces that reflect the passion, fears, and confusion of a young man trying to make sense of, find meaning in, and discover his place in the world between the ages of 17 and 25. Full of rhythmic, vivid language, Growing Up the Antichrist uses poetry as a starting point to express profound, maddening, and sometimes hilarious emotional truths about the process of growing up in the early 21st century, grappling with nostalgia, and struggling as an outsider (even among the outsiders). Driven by a complex, but enduring, hope and balancing a respect for and distaste of the past, this “intellectual memoir” goes beyond the author’s own backstory to speak to universal experiences that unite us across the generations.
One Response
Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully read my book and for the kind words. It is highly appreciated!