Negative Space

A daughter's unflinching exploration of her artist father's life, addiction, and legacy in the vibrant East Village art scene of the 1980s.

Lilly Dancyger confronts her past and seeks to understand her father, Joe Schactman, a sculptor whose life was marked by both artistic brilliance and a harrowing struggle with addiction. Through his provocative art, Dancyger pieces together a portrait of a man she idolized, even as his addiction cast a shadow over their family. This memoir navigates the ...