Philosophy for Spiders

“In this brilliant reading of one of the late twentieth century's most interesting writers, language ‘messes with flesh’ while ‘logic messes with language,’ transmuting Kathy Acker's sign-worlds into philosophy. I love the fearless way in which McKenzie Wark thinks. I also love the calm voice with which she walks herself (and us) through difficult spaces in theory and memory. Exploring how gender structures writing in ways related to, but ultimately different from, the norms that structure heterosexuality, Philosophy for Spiders radically expands the field of trans girl lit.” -- Sianne Ngai, author of * Theory of the Gimmick: Aesthetic Judgment and Capitalist Form *
“McKenzie Wark’s highly personal sex memoir evolves the growing ‘My Kathy’ genre in trans directions. This impassioned, reasonable, and subjective tribute makes more room for Kathy to live on as the future's own creations.” -- Sarah Schulman, author of * Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987–1993 *
"Wark has written a study that not only luxuriates in her brief, passionate love affair with Acker but also attempts to burnish her legacy through a contemporary recontextualization of her work, including a trans reading of Acker’s writings, exploring the ways her fictions abjured gender binaries or even the assumption that her voice emanated from a cis woman. . . . Through Wark’s rereading, Acker is transformed from provocateur porn writer, punk poet, and literary theorist to someone much more resonant: a vulnerable Acker shed of her leather jacket, of her sometimes-bratty persona." -- Alyse Burnside * The Nation *
"Don’t be frightened by the word 'theory' in the title: Wark is nothing if not gentle with her reader. This slim book will hook you with both its eroticism and its deep dive into Acker’s art. . . . In addition to being erotic, funny, and bold, the book makes a strong case for Acker’s significance as part of the American literary canon. It left me with an itch to return to Acker’s books; and Wark’s accessibly written analysis will surely invite a new generation of readers to discover Acker for the first time." -- Clare Potter * Women's Review of Books *
"This is a formally generous book that avoids classificatory boundaries, happily reflecting many of Acker's iterations. . . . A thought-provoking afterword considers trans writing; like the rest of the book, it is both playful & incisive about gender." -- Declan Fry * ABC Arts *
"Philosophy for Spiders provides a novel approach to the scholarship on Acker and asks important questions about academic writing itself. It will be of great interest to readers of both Acker and Wark, and to all those working on trans literature, gender theory, and contemporary literature and culture more broadly." -- Maria Markiewicz * European Journal of American Studies *