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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... what she had been saying was true . It was only out of petulance ) : You ARE going to leave me . Oh no . No. That ... what he's saying . He knows her energy rises sharply and crazy when she's scared so he's probably provoking this scene ...
... what she had been saying was true . It was only out of petulance ) : You ARE going to leave me . Oh no . No. That ... what he's saying . He knows her energy rises sharply and crazy when she's scared so he's probably provoking this scene ...
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... too big . Janey knew he'd tell her what was happening with Johnny , if Johnny was crazy or not , and if Johnny really wanted to break up with Janey . Janey didn't have to pretend anything with Bill . Janey : Right now we're at the edge of ...
... too big . Janey knew he'd tell her what was happening with Johnny , if Johnny was crazy or not , and if Johnny really wanted to break up with Janey . Janey didn't have to pretend anything with Bill . Janey : Right now we're at the edge of ...
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... what's been happening , Janey . I want to know for my own reasons . This is very important . Johnny hasn't been ... what happened last night ? I have to know everything . ( She tells him . ) What do you think is going on ? Janey : Either ...
... what's been happening , Janey . I want to know for my own reasons . This is very important . Johnny hasn't been ... what happened last night ? I have to know everything . ( She tells him . ) What do you think is going on ? Janey : Either ...
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... what you want , but you don't go after every little thing ; you try to work it through with the other person . I've had to learn this this past year . I'm willing to work with Johnny . Bill : I understand what's happening now . Johnny ...
... what you want , but you don't go after every little thing ; you try to work it through with the other person . I've had to learn this this past year . I'm willing to work with Johnny . Bill : I understand what's happening now . Johnny ...
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... what you're doing . All year I've been asking you , ' What do you want ? ' and you never knew . It was always me , my voice , I felt like a total nag ; I want you to be the man . I can't make all the decisions . I'm going to the United ...
... what you're doing . All year I've been asking you , ' What do you want ? ' and you never knew . It was always me , my voice , I felt like a total nag ; I want you to be the man . I can't make all the decisions . I'm going to the United ...
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