Review: Make Trouble by John Waters

The printed and illustrated version of Water's 2015 graduation address at RISD, this slight work is full of motivational snippets, advice to the newly graduated, and a call to, as the title implores, "make trouble." Most people know of Waters' work either in movies or writing and so they won't be surprised by much of his advice, unless they are surprised at how safe much but not all of it is, nor by his take on the state of the world in 2015, but there are still surprising bits as befits his reputation as a rebel. As a gift book aimed at graduates (it came out in time to give it to all your favorite students moving into the real world), it's a quick and easy read as well as a good reminder to all of us that while we have to live in the world as it is, we should never stop striving to make it a world as we want it to be.

Thanks to the publisher for giving me a copy of the book to review.