A Different Kind of Intimacy: The Collected Writings

by Karen Finley

A Different Kind of Intimacy will bring together for the first time a collection of performance artist Karen Finley's texts, performances, short stories, essays, op-eds, art and photographs, creating a unique memoir of a woman whose life and career have embodied the urgent cultural conflicts of our time. The writings include text from the infamous performances that brought her to the Supreme Court in Finley vs. NEA, a battle that became a mainstay of the culture wars and which has made Finley an icon in the struggle for freedom of speech. Included in this volume will be the never before published, Obie Award-winning The American Chestnut for which she received a Guggenheim; such works as We Keep Our Victims Ready, A Certain Level of Denial, The Return of the Chocolate Smeared Woman, and an excerpt from her forthcoming film Shut Up and Love Me. Also appearing will be previously unpublished short stories, photos, artwork, and an essay on censorship. In 1998 Finley was named Woman of the Year by MS. magazine; she posed for Playboy the following year. She has appeared in numerous films including Philadelphia, and will soon be directing her own first feature film, Shut Up and Love Me, produced by Forensic Films. She has recorded albums including a collaboration with Sinead O'Connor. Finley is a regular on Politically Incorrect and can be seen giving her opinions on Exhale, a new show hosted by Candace Bergen on Oxygen. She will be hosting The Naked Players, a "nude Candid Camera" as well as Shock Video, both on HBO. Finley has written four books: Shock Treatment, Enough Is Enough, Living It Up, and Pooh Unplugged. "We need Finley: she doesn't duck the bullets, she keeps her eyes peeled on the artillery aimed at women, and she continues to push against her own boundaries as an artist" -- MS. Magazine

Genres: Art, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Feminism, Theatre

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

KAREN FINLEYs raw and transgressive performances have long provoked controversy and debate. She has appeared and exhibited her visual art, performances, and plays internationally. The author of many books including A Different Kind of Intimacy , George & Martha , and Shock Treatment , she is a professor at the Tisch School of Art and Public Policy at NYU.

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Reviews

[erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

im a slut for karen finley now

[maddi1134 · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

The memoir parts were interesting. I don't really understand performance art. I don't find this cathartic. I couldn't read all of the performances because they were so masochistic. But I appreciate the statements being made about women's sexuality, abuse, and rape.

I found the sections on the AIDS slightly easier to read and can appreciate how the exhibits must have been healing.

[Vivienne Strauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, a truly provocative book. I passed through many emotional states while reading this over the past 24 hours- sorrow, anger, disgust, fortunately occasional laughter and found it overall inspiring.

[seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

provocative, cathartic, and everything else i love about this incredible artist. finley is easily my favorite writer of all time and this book provided me with so much work of hers i hadn’t read before. this book is part memoir and part performance art. a treasure chest of her work from the time she started till the end of her battle with the supreme court. love, love, love.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unforgettable.

[Alaska · Rating 4 out of 5]

ya çok iyi ya çok kötü çıkacak bir kitaptı çok çok iyi çıktı sanata sarılma isteğimi arttırdı

[Adam Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is certainly not the type of book you can just pick up haphazardly and just start enjoying. You really need to know who Karen Finley is, otherwise you might miss the subtleties. It's like meeting a sarcastic or hyperbole-prone person for the first time, if you're not familliar with their sensibility you might think they're just a dick. Given that, I'm a big fan of Karen Finley, and was interested to read about the NEA grant situation from her point of view. It includes excerpts from some of her work, so you get a taste of it, but I would recommend Shock Treatment first, or just seeing her work.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Finley rocks my little world. There I said it. I have a precious signed copy of this book from a performance I saw her give at the Vortex Theatre here in town. She is brave, crass, intelligent and she's taken on both the NEA and Jesse Helms what more do you need to say. Oh, her writing is pretty good too. The things she's lived and explored in her life are perfectly captured in the title, A Different Kind of Intimacy. I'll have to come back and rewrite this when I can make more sense :). Till then http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Fi...

[Chriso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon reading this a second time the writing wasn't as strong as I remembered it to be. But it's less about some specific narrative voice and more about Finley plainly and honestly presenting the story of her life thus far as a performance artist and locus point of controversy. Excerpts of her performance pieces are included and this is where her writing really shines. Another thing that reminds me of the New York City of times gone by.

[Dr Janice Flux · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm writing this review long after reading the book, but i just want to say that i would have given it another star if almost half of the book didn't feel like excuses for not being "radical" or "edgy" anymore. as a young'un during the culture wars of the 80s, i was excited to hear her side of all of those stories, though.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estoy disfrutando tantísimo todo lo que Karen Finley tiene que decir sobre sus inicios el performance y el oficio que fue delineando con el paso de los años. Nunca imaginé que una mujer cuyas obras son de una crudeza bárbara fuera tan tan dulce y vibrante al mismo tiempo.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Karen's life is interesting and some of her work is hilarious, I just don't like her writing at all, mainly it seems forgettable. I think when combined with a performance there would be a different level of understanding, but on the page her words aren't too powerful.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Some of this I really liked--mainly the middle part of the book. The beginning didn't have as much impact on me and the final portion confused me. On the whole, the book was thought provoking and I admire Karen Finley for her creativity and her willingness to speak her truth.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

pretty vulgar. even for me.

[Linde · Rating 4 out of 5]

bravery and embracing your past and makeing the best art you can from it ... is something i want to try to do

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

karen finley is an awesome performance artist. this book is pretty awesome too.

[Blayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finley is a brilliant and fearless artist with wonderful things to say. I highly recommend this book. I've been fortunate enough to see her perform live twice and I consider her one of my heroes.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic, inspiring, hilarious and involving retrospective of Karen Finley's work, in her own voice.

[Sandy Hilliard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this collection after my sister went to see one of her shows in New York. The description with compelling. So was the book.

[Rebecca Bourgeois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen lives life with a rare boldness and compassion and her art reflects that sensibility. Plus, she's hot.

[Marissa Perel · Rating 5 out of 5]

equally strong in message and craft

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun stuff.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

B She's so wacky!