Close to the Knives

Author: David Wojnarowicz
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1480489611
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 178

Book Description
The “fierce, erotic, haunting, truthful” memoirs of an extraordinary artist, activist, and iconoclast who lit up late-twentieth-century New York (Dennis Cooper). One of the New York Times’ “50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years” David Wojnarowicz’s brief but eventful life was not easy. From a suburban adolescence marked by neglect, drugs, prostitution, and abuse to a squalid life on the streets of New York City, to fame—and infamy—as an activist and controversial visual artist whose work was lambasted in the halls of Congress, all before his early death from AIDS at age thirty-seven, Wojnarowicz seemed to be at war with a homophobic “establishment” and the world itself. Yet what emerged from the darkness was a truly extraordinary artist and human being—an angry young man of remarkable poetic sensibilities who was inordinately sympathetic to those who, like him, lived and struggled outside society’s boundaries. Close to the Knives is his searing yet strangely beautiful account told in a collection of powerful essays. An author whom reviewers have compared to Kerouac and Genet, David Wojnarowicz mesmerizes, horrifies, and delights in equal measure with his unabashed honesty. At once savage and funny, poignant and sexy, compassionate and unforgiving, his words and stories cut like knives, leaving indelible marks on all who read them.

The Knives

Author: Richard T. Kelly
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571296688
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 477

Book Description
'The knives are out for you, always. But that is the mission you accepted, David. So you have to face the knives, with fortitude. Just as we ask of the great British public...'As Home Secretary in Her Majesty's Government, David Blaylock's daily work involves the control of Britain's borders, the oversight of her police force, and the struggle against domestic terror threats. Some say the job is impossible; Blaylock insists he is tough enough. But around Westminster the gossip-mongers say his fiery temper is a liability.An ex-soldier from a modest background, Blaylock has a life-story that the public respects. Privately, though, he carries pain and remorse - over some grievous things he saw in the army, and his estrangement from an ex-wife and three children for whom he still cares. A solitary figure in a high-pressure world, with no place to call home, Blaylock is never sure whom he can trust or whether his decisions are the right ones. Constantly in his mind is the danger of an attack on Britain's streets. But over the course of one fraught autumn Blaylock finds that danger moving menacingly closer to his own person.

Memories That Smell Like Gasoline

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781643622712
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description

In the Shadow of the American Dream

Author: David Wojnarowicz
Publisher: Open Road Media
ISBN: 1480489603
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 239

Book Description
From life in the streets and love in the alleys to fame in the spotlight and an untimely death—raw, biting, and brilliant selections from the personal journals of one of the most uniquely creative artists of the late twentieth century When his life ended at age thirty-seven—a casualty of the AIDS epidemic that took so many before their time—David Wojnarowicz had long since established himself as one of America’s most vital artists and activists. In the Shadow of the American Dream is a stunning collection of riveting and revealing chapters from Wojnarowicz’s extensive personal diaries—thirty volumes’ worth of memories and lucid observations, some bitter, some sweet—that the author began writing when he was seventeen and continued until his death two decades later. Here is a brilliant chronicle of an artist’s emergence—a young man’s still achingly fresh memories of his unhappy adolescence and his glorious discovery of self. Wojnarowicz recalls his life on Manhattan’s Lower East Side with no shame or regret, and shares his hitchhiking journeys across the country. He talks of art and love and sex—embracing who he is fully and accepting his heartbreaking fate without pathos—while providing fascinating glimpses into the vibrant and colorful New York art scene and poignant views of life and death among the AIDS community. At once frightening and courageous, joyous and disturbing, enlightening and honest, In the Shadow of the American Dream is a treasured addition to the enduring literary legacy of David Wojnarowicz and a true testament to his unique brilliance.

The Folding Knife

Author: K. J. Parker
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 0316072109
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Book Description
A new stand-alone novel from the acclaimed author of the Engineer Trilogy and The Company. Basso the Magnificent. Basso the Great. Basso the Wise. The First Citizen of the Vesani Republic is an extraordinary man. He is ruthless, cunning, and above all, lucky. He brings wealth, power and prestige to his people. But with power comes unwanted attention, and Basso must defend his nation and himself from threats foreign and domestic. In a lifetime of crucial decisions, he's only ever made one mistake. One mistake, though, can be enough.

The Waterfront Journals

Author: David Wojnarowicz
Publisher: Grove Press
ISBN: 9780802135049
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 148

Book Description
Before his death from AIDS in 1992, David Wojnarowicz became known in the 1980s as an outspoken AIDS activist, anticensorship advocate, artist, and writer. Written as short monologues, each of these powerful, early works of autobiographical fiction is spoken in the voice of a character he stumbles upon during travels throughout America.

Generation Manifestation

Author: Steven Bereznai
Publisher: Jambor Publishing
ISBN: 1989055052
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 348

Book Description
My name is Caitlin Feral, and I'm about to face my final Testing Day. My younger brother and mom hope I return: that I survive the tests (which is not a given) and that I am still a dreg. They want me to stay here with them to keep what's left of our family together. They want me to stay here, in the shadow of the Genetic Wars, with mutant animal attacks, protectors in faceless helms eager to catch us in the slightest infractions, and a menial work placement that's waiting with my name on it if I fail the tests. But that's not what I dream about. In my dreams, I can lift a bus. I can fly. I have to Manifest. If I do, my classmate Lilianne and teacher Mrs. Cranberry will stop their bullying, and I can leave the danger and the dirt and the lack of food and medication and move to Jupitar City to be adopted by a Supergenic family. That's the promise—if Testing Day doesn't kill me first. "I barely got out of there. They're not afraid to kill us. They're not afraid to kill you." That's what my classmate Normand said after he returned from his testing, barely able to stand. But he's soft; I'm not ... right? The Treaty will protect me, and the Supergenics can only test within reasonable parameters to find their own kind, but the terror and pain in Normand's eyes makes me sweat and my heart race. What if the rules have changed? And what if I am a mere DNA regular? What if I'm nothing like the Supergenic heroes I read about in the comic books they send us from Jupitar City? Today, I find out. And I do know one thing. I would rather die trying than be stuck being me for the rest of my life. DON'T BE DNA REGULAR. BE GENERATION MANIFESTATION. The action-packed, heart-pounding adventure of Gen M begins here! Warnings: for fans of strong female protagonists, LGBTQ positivity, important neurodiverse characters, unexpected heroism, unexpected villainy and other unpredictabilities. Earlier version published as I Want Superpowers. Fans of Hunger Games, Divergent, 1984, Brendan Sanderson's Steelheart or Marvel's X-Men and X-Force will love Generation Manifestation! "A richly realized dystopian world that reads like The Hunger Games meets X-Men." — Ryan Porter, The Toronto Star "A teenager must determine where her true alliances rest in Generation Manifestation, a dark dystopian novel directed by tough choices and earned wisdom ... with heartrending twists."—Foreword Clarion Review "I LOVED THIS! ... it's on my list of the best books I've ever read ... You think you know what is going to happen, but you have no idea how many times my predictions were wrong." —Elizabeth Sagan, MyBookFeatures "One of the best things about this book was in the start I expected it to take the same beaten path. But it subverted my expectations. And I couldn't predict where the book was going next." —Ananya B, Goodreads "When I finished the last page, I had to close my eyes for a second and try to keep my mind together. I am not sure if it was an ending or a new beginning...This book is hands down my favorite so far this year. It was easy to read, very well written, and detailed." —Books of Cat, Goodreads "This book had the perfect mix of world building, character development and rich content that were tied beautifu

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763652164
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 510

Book Description
A dystopian thriller follows a boy and girl on the run from a town where all thoughts can be heard – and the passage to manhood embodies a horrible secret. Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

Weight of the Earth

Author: David Wojnarowicz
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1635900174
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Audio journals that document Wojnarowicz's turbulent attempts to understand his anxieties and passions, and tracking his thoughts as they develop in real time. In these moments I hate language. I hate what words are like, I hate the idea of putting these preformed gestures on the tip of my tongue, or through my lips, or through the inside of my mouth, forming sounds to approximate something that's like a cyclone, or something that's like a flood, or something that's like a weather system that's out of control, that's dangerous, or alarming.... It just seems like sounds that have been uttered back and forth maybe now over centuries. And it always boils down to the same meaning within those sounds, unless you're more intense uttering them, or you precede them or accompany them with certain forms of violence. —from The Weight of the Earth Artist, writer, and activist David Wojnarowicz (1954–1992) was an important figure in the downtown New York art scene. His art was preoccupied with sex, death, violence, and the limitations of language. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Wojnarowicz began keeping audio journals, returning to a practice he'd begun in his youth.The Weight of the Earth presents transcripts of these tapes, documenting Wojnarowicz's turbulent attempts to understand his anxieties and passions, and tracking his thoughts as they develop in real time. In these taped diaries, Wojnarowicz talks about his frustrations with the art world, recounts his dreams, and describes his rage, fear, and confusion about his HIV diagnosis. Primarily spanning the years 1987 and 1989, recorded as Wojnarowicz took solitary road trips around the United States or ruminated in his New York loft, the audio journals are an intimate and affecting record of an artist facing death. By turns despairing, funny, exalted, and angry, this volume covers a period largely missing from Wojnarowicz's written journals, providing us with an essential new record of a singular American voice.

In the Hall with the Knife

Author: Diana Peterfreund
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1683356411
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 275

Book Description
A murderer could be around every corner in this thrilling YA trilogy based on the board game CLUE! When a storm strikes at Blackbrook Academy, an elite prep school nestled in the woods of Maine, a motley crew of students—including Beth “Peacock” Picach, Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Sam “Mustard” Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlet Mistry—are left stranded on campus with their headmaster. Hours later, his body is found in the conservatory and it’s very clear his death was no accident. With this group of students who are all hiding something, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has a motive for murder. Fans of the CLUE board game and cult classic film will delight in Diana Peterfreund’s modern reimagining of the brand, its characters, and the dark, magnificent old mansion with secrets hidden within its walls.