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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... mysterious Mr Linker A book report Translating Cancer A journey to the end of the night Tangier In Egypt, the end A second of time So the doves The Journey The World Introduction Kathy Acker was the most intentional of writers ,
... mysterious Mr Linker A book report Translating Cancer A journey to the end of the night Tangier In Egypt, the end A second of time So the doves The Journey The World Introduction Kathy Acker was the most intentional of writers ,
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... night Mr Smith and Sally went out and Janey knew her father and that woman were going to fuck . Janey was also very pretty , but she was kind of weird - looking because one of her eyes was lopsided . Janey tore up her father's bed and ...
... night Mr Smith and Sally went out and Janey knew her father and that woman were going to fuck . Janey was also very pretty , but she was kind of weird - looking because one of her eyes was lopsided . Janey tore up her father's bed and ...
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... night , you fled So good to me ... up to grief and include ! I don't know myself anything else But you , YOU don't have to be good . This night alone up to imprisonment no prison Hermetic and tyrannical , diseased and panic- stricken I ...
... night , you fled So good to me ... up to grief and include ! I don't know myself anything else But you , YOU don't have to be good . This night alone up to imprisonment no prison Hermetic and tyrannical , diseased and panic- stricken I ...
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... night ? I have to know everything . ( She tells him . ) What do you think is going on ? Janey : Either of two ... I am Johnny . ( Thinks . ) Either of two things . ( Speaks very slowly and clearly . ) First thing : I am Johnny . I'm ...
... night ? I have to know everything . ( She tells him . ) What do you think is going on ? Janey : Either of two ... I am Johnny . ( Thinks . ) Either of two things . ( Speaks very slowly and clearly . ) First thing : I am Johnny . I'm ...
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... night about Sally . It won't happen again . I think it's great you've got a girlfriend you really care about . Father : I've never felt like this about anyone . It's good for me to know I can feel so strongly . Janey : Yes . ( Keeping ...
... night about Sally . It won't happen again . I think it's great you've got a girlfriend you really care about . Father : I've never felt like this about anyone . It's good for me to know I can feel so strongly . Janey : Yes . ( Keeping ...
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