Blood and Guts in High School
Blood and Guts in High School by Kathy Acker, published by Grove Press in 2017, is a significant work of surrealist fiction that first gained attention in 1984. This edition, comprising 141 pages, presents a narrative that explores themes of identity and sexuality through the eyes of a young girl named Janey, who navigates complex relationships and societal challenges.
Readers will find a transgressive story set against the backdrop of various cities, including Merida and New York City, where Janey’s journey unfolds. The book delves into her experiences with love, loss, and the underbelly of urban life, ultimately leading her to Tangiers and a fateful encounter with Jean Genet. This work is noted for its philosophical and political insights, making it a relevant exploration of feminist and LGBTQ+ themes within the context of literary and social science discussions.
Official synopsis Publisher
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.
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