Hardcore from the Heart: The Pleasures, Profits and Politics of Sex in Performance (Critical Performances) [Paperback]

Annie Sprinkle (Author), Gabrielle Cody (Author)

Book Description

Series: Critical Performances | Publication Date: June 15, 2001

Pornography, on or off the stage in an inflammatory issue, and one which is deeply linked to theatrical representation throughout history. But what happens to the notions of the pornographic when a female performer subverts the conventional models of pornographic representation by reclaiming the agency of her own body? This is exactly what sex industry worker and performance artist Annie Sprinkle attempts through her courageous and challenging work. By locating her discourse on her own body, she renders exploitation impossible and refers to herself as a "post-porn modernist". However, Sprinkle's complication of the power raises important theoretical issues. When is identity not created by an outside source? When is the female body not in a prostituted relationship to representational structures? Is the spectator always a voyuer? Why is "post-porn" modernism still not endorsed by many brands of feminism? In order to structure a conversation about these issues, "Hardcore from the Heart" will not only comprise a critical introduction to Sprinkle's later theatre work and essays, but also include several interviews with artists who have worked closely with Sprinkle over the years.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dedicated to "academics, whores and academic whores everywhere," Hardcore from the Heart: The Pleasures, Profits and Politics of Sex in Performance is a collaboration between sex worker and performance artist Annie Sprinkle (Annie Sprinkle, Post-Porn Modernist: My Twenty-Five Years as a Multimedia Whore) and Vassar College drama professor Gabrielle Cody (Impossible Performance: Duras As Dramatist). Sprinkle is probably the best-known of the first generation of women performance artists whose work focuses on sex and sexuality. Together, the authors reflect on Sprinkle's work and explore tensions within feminism over pornography and the complex power relations inherent in any art that makes use of the female body. The book combines Cody's academic analysis and Sprinkle's own writings with conversations between Sprinkle and her friends (porn star Veronica Vera) and critics (anti-porn feminist Mae Tyme). While too academic for many readers, the book is entertaining and provocative, and should delight any serious student of feminist performance art. Photos not seen by PW.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Considered the first female performance artist to focus explicitly on sex, Sprinkle, in one of her most notorious performances, invited audience members to view her cervix with the help of a speculum and a flashlight. This is the third installment of Continuum's "Critical Performances" series, which pairs artists with critical theorists. Here, Sprinkle and Cody (drama, Vassar Coll.) collaborate to provide critical analysis of Sprinkle's performance work. Sprinkle's Post-Porn Modernist: My 25 Years As a Multimedia Whore (Cleis, 1998) is a colorful biographical scrapbook of her career as a porn star and performance artist. In contrast, Hardcore from the Heart serves as a scholarly introduction to Sprinkle's oeuvre by including essays, interviews with collaborators, and performance texts. Recommended for academic libraries. Krista Ivy, Bryn Mawr Coll. Lib., PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (June 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826448933
• ISBN-13: 978-0826448934
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,489,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just for Academics!, December 7, 2001

By 

Magdalene Meretrix (Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hardcore from the Heart: The Pleasures, Profits and Politics of Sex in Performance (Critical Performances) (Paperback)

This book is a combination of pure Annie Sprinkle and the deconstruction of Sprinkle as provided by critical theorists. The academic sections can be heavy going if you're not used to that kind of writing, but this book is definitely worth getting, even if you end up skipping over the academic parts. The theory is like a frame around the artwork of Annie's life and like any good frame, takes up a small portion of the book, leaving the bulk of the pages for the actual art and information by and about Annie. Annie's art and life are just as vibrant and gorgeous whether you look at the frame or never notice it exists. The critique can help to set Annie's work into a larger context and it's worth reading, in my opinion, but if you love Annie Sprinkle but aren't into the post-modern scholarship thing, don't let that scare you away from "Hardcore from the Heart."

So what else is in this book? Well, there are great photos of Annie from important moments in her life, interviews with Annie and with others about Annie, a fantastic and respectful debate between Annie and an anti-porn feminist, biographical info about Annie and selections of Annie's work -- both scripts from her performances and work written by Annie. If you enjoy collecting and reading Annie Sprinkle's words, you need this book because it has things that don't appear in any other book by or about her. Overall, the book is a buffet of Annie Sprinkle, examining her from every imaginable angle, inside and out.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Edgy, fun and bravely funny, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hardcore from the Heart: The Pleasures, Profits and Politics of Sex in Performance (Critical Performances) (Paperback)

Annie Sprinkle has been delighting us at the intellectual and visceral levels for at least a decade with her cutting edge approach to sexual taboos. I love the humor and wisdom she brings to the world of sex, and the way she makes me thinkthinkthink about the IDEAS underlying my sex life. Great stuff from a brilliant sexual philosopher and an adventurous feminist. Brava!!