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Introduction by Amy Scholder

Whose poster hung on your wall as a teenager? Whose record did you wear out? Whose life story could you not resist? Fascination works in mysterious ways—it can be born out of inspiration, or repulsion, or both. In these daring essays, some of the most provocative writers of our time offer a private view on a public figure. In the process, they reveal themselves in beautiful and unexpected ways, blurring the line between biography and memoir.

Essays

Mary Gaitskill on Linda Lovelace

Rick Moody on Karen Dalton

Johanna Fateman on Andrea Dworkin

Danielle Henderson on bell hooks

Hanne Blank on MFK Fisher

Kate Zambreno on Kathy Acker

Justin Vivian Bond on Karen Graham

Jill Nelson on Aretha Franklin

Zoe Pilger on Mary Gaitskill

Review

"A smart plunge into fandom's sober fringe." —Wayne Koestenbaum, author of My 1980s and Other Essays