Memories That Smell Like Gasoline
Memories That Smell Like Gasoline by David Wojnarowicz, published by Nightboat Books on June 3, 2025, is a poignant exploration of memory, violence, and the erotism of public space, framed within the context of AIDS. This edition presents Wojnarowicz’s intimate stories and sketches, reflecting his life as both an artist and an AIDS activist. The book is structured into four sections, each combining text and imagery to convey a narrative that encompasses his experiences from adolescence to his time in New York City.
Readers will find a blend of tenderness and rage as Wojnarowicz addresses themes of identity and survival. The work serves as a disavowal of societal neglect and a radical insistence on life, showcasing the artist’s unique perspective on the challenges he faced. This revised edition includes a foreword by Ocean Vuong and a note from editor Amy Scholder, enhancing the context of Wojnarowicz’s impactful message. With 96 pages, this English-language book invites readers to engage with the complex interplay of art and activism.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Wojnarowicz is a spokesman for the unspeakable.” —New York Magazine
David Wojnarowicz, one of the most provocative artists of his generation, explores memory, violence, and the erotism of public space–all under the specter of AIDS.
Here are David Wojnarowicz’s most intimate stories and sketches, from the full spectrum of his life as an artist and AIDS activist. Four sections–“Into the Drift and Sway,” “Doing Time in a Disposable Body,” “Spiral,” and “Memories that Smell like Gasoline”–are made of images and indictments of a precocious adolescence, and his later adventures in the streets of New York. Combining text and image, tenderness and rage, Wojnarowicz’s Memories that Smell like Gasoline is a disavowal of the world that wanted him dead, and a radical insistence on life.
The new and revised edition features a foreword by Ocean Vuong and a note from the editor, Amy Scholder.
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