Blood and Guts in High School: A Novel“Kathy Acker’s writing is virtuoso, maddening, crazy, so sexy, so painful, and beaten out of a wild heart that nothing can tame. Acker is a landmark writer.” —Jeanette Winterson, New York Times–bestselling author A masterpiece of surrealist fiction, steeped in controversy upon its first publication in 1984, Blood and Guts in High School is the book that established Kathy Acker as the preeminent voice of post-punk feminism. With 2017 marking the 70th anniversary of her birth, as well as the 10th year since her death this transgressive work of philosophical, political, and sexual insight—with a new introduction by Chris Kraus—continues to become more relevant than ever before. In the Mexican city of Merida, ten-year-old Janey lives with Johnny—her “boyfriend, brother, sister, money, amusement, and father” —until he leaves her for another woman. Bereft, Janey travels to New York City, plunging into an underworld of gangs and prostitution. After escaping imprisonment, she flees to Tangiers where she meets Jean Genet, and they begin a torrid affair that will lead Janey to her demise. Fantastical, sensual, and fearlessly radical, this hallucinatory collage is both a comic and tragic portrait of erotic awakening. “The girl in this story had more agency and voice than any girl I’d ever read or would read in my entire life.” —Lydia Yuknavitch, national bestselling author of Thrust “No writer I know is more audacious than Kathy Acker, whose anarchic wit drives a thoroughgoing attack on conventions and complacencies of all sorts. Not unlike Gertrude Stein in her day, Acker gives us a different way to look at the uses to which language is put.” —Lynne Tillman, author of Men and Apparitions |
From inside the book
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... can't be . Father ( also stunned ) : I never thought I was going to leave you . I was just fucking . Janey ( not at ... can't leave me . You can't . ( Now in full hysteria . ) I'll ... ( Realizes she might be flying off the handle and ...
... can't be . Father ( also stunned ) : I never thought I was going to leave you . I was just fucking . Janey ( not at ... can't leave me . You can't . ( Now in full hysteria . ) I'll ... ( Realizes she might be flying off the handle and ...
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... can't believe this . Every time she says the worst , it's true ) : When will you know ? I have to make my plans . Father : We just slept together once . Why don't you just let things lie , Janey , and not push ? Janey : You tell me you ...
... can't believe this . Every time she says the worst , it's true ) : When will you know ? I have to make my plans . Father : We just slept together once . Why don't you just let things lie , Janey , and not push ? Janey : You tell me you ...
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... can't get to sleep otherwise . Her father's touch is cold , he doesn't want to touch her mostly ' cause he's confused . Janey fucks him even though it hurts her like hell ' cause of her Pelvic Inflammatory Disease . The following poem ...
... can't get to sleep otherwise . Her father's touch is cold , he doesn't want to touch her mostly ' cause he's confused . Janey fucks him even though it hurts her like hell ' cause of her Pelvic Inflammatory Disease . The following poem ...
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... can't do is to freak out and lay a heavy trip on him . Janey : I've already done that . ( If she could giggle , she would . ) Bill : You have to realize that you're the one person he hates , you're everything he's trying to get rid of ...
... can't do is to freak out and lay a heavy trip on him . Janey : I've already done that . ( If she could giggle , she would . ) Bill : You have to realize that you're the one person he hates , you're everything he's trying to get rid of ...
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... can't make all the decisions . I'm going to the United States for a long time so you'll be able to be alone . Father ( amazed she's snapped so quickly and thoroughly from down hysteria to joy ) : You're tough , aren't you ? Janey : I ...
... can't make all the decisions . I'm going to the United States for a long time so you'll be able to be alone . Father ( amazed she's snapped so quickly and thoroughly from down hysteria to joy ) : You're tough , aren't you ? Janey : I ...
Contents
The Scorpions | |
Outside high school | |
The mysterious Mr Linker | |
Translating | |
A journey to the end of the night | |
In Egypt the | |
A second of time | |
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Common terms and phrases
Acker anymore asked beautiful beaver Bill Blood and Guts body boomp boomp Café Catullus cause cock cooky cops crazy cunt dead death Dimwit dreams East River East Village ERICA JONG everything eyes Ezafe Fat Lady Father feel Fritzy gaol garbage Genet girl grey hand happening hate Hawthorne hell Hester hippy horrible huge hurt inside Janey Janey's Jean Genet Kathy Acker kill knew Knockwurst legs live look Lousy Mindless Salesgirl menstrual extraction Merida mind never night pain President Carter prison rock-n-roll Sahih scared scream shit Slave Trader sleep slum snow someone stick stinks stop streets SUCK ME SUCK talk about Sally Tangier tell there's thing tiny told turned walk walls want to fuck what's whore wild woman women است این پنجره جانی خانه سیاه هست