weekend links: gender-fluid fiction, performance artists, rave roots
Photo by Matt Crump. Image appears courtesy of Austin Monthly.
In another small step toward rectifying the art world’s gender imbalance, The New York Times profiled five women—ranging in age from 72 to 99—whose contributions went largely unrecognized until late in life. [T Magazine]
Nathan McNamara’s well-crafted piece on sequencing short story collections exemplifies the very order it praises: bookended by references to Joyce, it hops from example to example with grace and fluidity. I bet he makes great mix tapes. [Electric Literature]
And if you prefer novels to short stories, consider this list of non-binary and gender fluid fiction for your summer reading. [Flavorwire]
Alicia Eler explores the use of standup comedy tropes in the work of three performance artists. I appreciate an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and technique. I appreciate the work of Andy Kaufman. Yet I’m hard-pressed to come up with a more irritating persona than “performance artist/standup comedian.” [Hyperallergic]
Elsewhere in performance art: In honor of the death of artist Chris Burden, let’s revisit Roger Ebert’s 1975 review of his work Doomed. [RogerEbert.com]
And, in honor of B.B. King, here is a poignant letter that he wrote 25 years ago. Rest in peace, Blues Boy. [vox]
25 years ago also marks the birth of rave culture in the U.S. It was brought here from the U.K. by a New York-based DJ named Frankie Bones. After nearly two decades out of the spotlight, Bones is back, and he’s trying to return the movement to its scrappy warehouse-based roots. [THUMP]
The ’90s were a fertile time for electronic music—especially ’90s-era Cologne. Mouse on Mars? Kompakt? Doesn’t ring a bell? Maybe some of the artists on this list will refresh your memory. [FACT]
We’ve been getting a lot of rain here in Austin. Thankfully, we have Matt Crump’s gorgeous, colorful photos to remind us of the times when the city wasn’t always wet and gray. [Austin Monthly]
—Alyssa G. Ramirez and Sean Redmond