Illustrated by Ly Ngo.When our hearts are broken, it's natural to want to vent. Some people start a group text with their friends, giving them a play-by-play account of how things fell apart. Others just opt for a series of cryptic Facebook posts. Then, there's Chase Compton, who decided he'd interweave his Yelp reviews with tidbits from his love life.
Compton met his boyfriend on OKCupid, and after nine months the two broke up. What's so brilliant about this project is that it highlights the biggest problem you face in the months following a breakup: When you spend every day with someone, you have trouble disassociating everyday items from them. If you used to grocery shop together at Dean & Deluca, for example, how can you possibly walk into the store and not think of that person — at least for a month or two. "The project has become a topographical map of my love story," Compton explained in an interview with Business Insider, referring to himself as a "literary Banksy."
Yelp is totally supportive of Compton's reviews, despite his fears that it would shut down his account after learning about the nature of his posts. The reviews site even suggested Compton nominate himself for Elite Squad membership. Check out all of Compton's reviews here. To be sure, they're giving Missed Connections a run for its money. (Business Insider)