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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