After moving to New York City in her thirties for a romantic relationship, Olivia Lang found herself alone in a vast, alien city. This most shameful of experiences fascinated her, and she began to explore the lonely city through art. Analyzing the cases of Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Klaus Nomi, Henry Darger, and David Wojnarowicz, the celebrated essayist and critic explores exercises in the art of solitude, its imagery, and the socio-psychological nature of alienation.

Human, bold, and deeply moving, The Lonely City is a book about the spaces between people, the things that connect people, sexuality, morality, and the miraculous possibilities of art. It is an exploration of an unknown and enchanting state, removed from the vast continent of human experience, yet deeply inherent in life itself.