Recently discovered and never before published, these two short novels were written in the early 1970s, at the beginning of Kathy Acker's writing career. Rip-off Red reads as a kind of Raymond Chandler for bad girls, as Acker's typical literary playfulness transforms the genre conventions of detective fiction into a book that is simultaneously a mystery and a personal, raunchy, and politically astute account of life in New York City. The Burning Bombing of America is a dystopian vision of the destruction of America, combining crypto-Socialist class critique with the visceral surreality of the Book of Revelation. Published together here, they reveal a young writer on a literary romp, imposing an original, sexy, and subversive worldview that is unmistakably Acker. They are a perfect introduction to Acker's oeuvre and essential for all Acker readers. "Kathy Acker's trancelike writing style peels away the layers of reality." -- San Francisco Chronicle "America's most beloved transgressive novelist." -- Spin "Acker is a postmodern Colette with echoes of Cleland's Fanny Hill." -- William S. Burroughs
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Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Kathy Acker (1948-1997) will welcome the first publication of two early short crime novels, Rip-Off Red, Girl Detective and The Burning Bombing of America, by the late postmodern author. Both are imbued with the raunchy and subversive wit typical of Acker's more mature work.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
During the course of research on Kathy Acker, editors Amy Scholder and Dennis Cooper unearthed two heretofore unknown novels that Acker wrote in her twenties--Rip-Off Red, Girl Detective (1973), a sexy twist on coming-of-age tales and gumshoe fiction, and the freaky, apocalyptic The Burning Bombing of America: The Destruction of the U.S. (1972)--full-tilt tales of sex, power, derangement, and mayhem that are being released together in one book in conjunction with Acker's selected writings. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
I'm five foot three inches brown hair curling all over my face, bright green eyes, I'm 26 but my body's tough from dancing if you know what I mean-well I got bored doing a strip, well first, I got bored doing that Ph.D. shit and being frustrated professors' straight-A pet, especially being faithful to a husband who spent all his time in bed dealing out poker hands; I left school, descended to the more interesting depths and became a stripper, even that finally bored me, so I decided, on my 26th birthday, to become the toughest detective alive. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
detective business, evil magicians, massage parlor Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Peter Peter, New York, Irish Saloon, Violet Women, Rip-off Red, First Avenue, Monsieur Hawk, Sally Spitz, The Tomatoes, Central Park, Kathy Acker, San Diego, Sherlock Holmes New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
I'm five foot three inches brown hair curling all over my face, bright green eyes, I'm 26 but my body's tough from dancing if you know what I mean-well I got bored doing a strip, well first, I got bored doing that Ph.D. shit and being frustrated professors' straight-A pet, especially being faithful to a husband who spent all his time in bed dealing out poker hands; I left school, descended to the more interesting depths and became a stripper, even that finally bored me, so I decided, on my 26th birthday, to become the toughest detective alive. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
detective business, evil magicians, massage parlor Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Peter Peter, New York, Irish Saloon, Violet Women, Rip-off Red, First Avenue, Monsieur Hawk, Sally Spitz, The Tomatoes, Central Park, Kathy Acker, San Diego, Sherlock Holmes New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 14
books:
See all 14 books this book cites
- Hannibal Lecter, My Father (Native Agents) by Kathy Acker in Front Matter
- My Mother: Demonology: A Novel (Acker, Kathy) by Kathy Acker in Front Matter
- Pussy, King of the Pirates (Acker, Kathy) by Kathy Acker in Front Matter
- Childlike Life of the Black Tarantula by Kathy Acker in Front Matter
- Blood and Guts in High School: A Novel (Acker, Kathy) by Kathy Acker in Front Matter
See all 14 books this book cites
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