Up Is Up, But So Is Down: New York's Downtown Literary Scene, 1974-1992

513 Pages·2006·168.38 MB·English

by  Dennis Cooper

Up Is Up, but So Is Down
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New York’s Downtown Literary Scene, 1974–1992
Edited by Brandon Stosuy
Afterword by Dennis Cooper and Eileen Myles
a
New York University Press
New York and London
New York University Press
New York and London
www.nyupress.org
© 2006 by New York University
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Up is up, but so is down : New York’s downtown literary scene,
1974-1992 / edited by Brandon Stosuy.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-4010-1 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8147-4010-3 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-4011-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8147-4011-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. American literature--New York (State)--New York. 2. Authors, American--Homes and
haunts--New York (State)--New York. 3. American literature--20th century. 4. Arts, American-
-New York (State)--New York--20th century. 5. SoHo (New York, N.Y.)--Intellectual life.
6. Lower East Side (New York, N.Y.)--Intellectual life. I. Stosuy, Brandon.
PS549.N5U65 2006
810.9’9747109045--dc22 2006002277
New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability.
Book & cover design: Yolanda Cuomo Design, NYC
Designer: Angela Lidderdale
Manufactured in the United States of America
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The urban artist’s “sense of place” is not rooted in
rolling hills and nostalgia. It’s already once removed.
It skins its knees on the pavement, steps in dog shit,
and stumbles in the gutters as it is chased from one place
to another by debts and developers.
—LUCY R. LIPPARD, FROM “HOMELESS AT HOME,” 1986
(TEXT)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 12 FROM Bagatelles (1981) Peter Cherches 116
INTRODUCTION 15 NEWSPAPER POEM (1981) Bob Witz 119
Brandon Stosuy
HAIKU FROM Public Illumination Magazine 123
(1982–1989) mr. basho
PART ONE:
THE 1970S
ZOOIN’ IN ALPHABET TOWN (1982) 125
Bob Holman
WHILE YOU WERE OUT (1982) Penny Arcade 133
INTRODUCTION TO THE 1970S 26
AC-DC (1982) Ursule Molinaro 135
FROM “THE EAST VILLAGE 1970–71” (1974) 27
Richard Kostelanetz LUNCH BREAK (1982) Hal Sirowitz 142
FROM I DREAMT I WAS ANYMPHOMANIAC!: 31 LECTURE ON THIRD AVENUE (AFTER V-EFFECT) 143
IMAGINING (1974) The Black Tarantula (1982) Michael Carter
UNTITLED (1973) Theresa Stern 32 IN THE DARK (1983) Eric Bogosian 148
3170 BROADWAY (1974) Pedro Pietri 33 THIS IS IT? (1983) Barbara Ess 156
THE AGE (1975) Edward Sanders 35 CARDIAC (1983) Max Blagg 159
FROM Modern Love (1975/7) Constance DeJong 39 PRACTICING WITHOUT A LICENSE (1983) 161
Richard Prince
PISS FACTORY (1974) Patti Smith 46
FIVE STORIES (1984) Mike Topp 177
BLANK GENERATION (1977) Richard Hell 49
3 STORIES (1984) Lisa Blaushild 178
IT’S ALL TRUE (1979) Richard Hell 51
THE ST. MARK’S BATHS (1984) Tom Savage 181
I MISSED PUNK (1979) Peter Schjeldahl 55
TV (1984) Brad Gooch 185
WORDS IN REVERSE (1979) Laurie Anderson 57
BABY BIRDS (1985) Karen Finley 199
FROM Epiphanies (1979) Richard Kostelanetz 70
FROM “IDIOGLOSSIA” (1985) Anne Turyn 204
FROM New York City in 1979 (1979, 1981) 73
Kathy Acker FROM Swimming to Cambodia (1985) 207
Spalding Gray
FROM Bikini Girl NO. 8 (1981) Lisa B. Falour 79
GO-GOING—NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY— 215
ON THE LOOSE (1994) Thurston Moore 85 1978–79 (1985) Cookie Mueller
THREE STORIES FROM The Traveling 222
PART TWO: Woman (1986) Roberta Allen
THE 1980S
N POEM WITH A TITLE AT THE END (1986) 225
W
Jim Feast
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S INTRODUCTION TO THE 1980S 90 MODERN SAINT #271 (1986) Tama Janowitz 227
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T A LOWER EAST SIDE POEM (1980) Miguel Piñero 101 MODERN ROMANCES (1986) Judy Lopatin 232
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P, LOWER EAST SIDE MESOSTICS 81–82 (1981–82) 102 FROM Girls, Visions and Everything (1986) 235
U Holly Anderson Sarah Schulman
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FROM “PHIL SPECTOR: A PERFORMANCE POEM 239 INTO THE SUNSET (1990) Michael Randall 368
FOR THREE GROUPS OF VOICES” (1986) Emily XYZ
FROM “LOVERS SLASH FRIENDS” (1990) 370
ON BOHOMELESSNESS: A CONVOLUTED GUIDE 253 Ann Rower
TO THE OTHER SIDE (1987) Darius James
BEAUTIFUL YOUTH (1990) Thaddeus Rutkowski 378
FROM Haunted Houses (1987) Lynne Tillman 257
IN THE ABBEY OF ARCANE SYNTHESIS: RANDOM 379
GEORGE: WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY (1987) 264 THOUGHTS POSING AS ANALYSIS IN THE GLOBAL
Dennis Cooper PAN-ASSASSINATION CRISIS (1990) Carl Watson
FEAR ON 11TH STREET AND AVENUE A, 272 A VISIT FROM MOM (1990) Bruce Benderson 387
NEW YORK CITY (1987) Denise Duhamel
FROM Two Girls, Fat and Thin (1991) Mary Gaitskill 395
THE ANGEL (1987) Patrick McGrath 274
DIVINE COMEDY (1991) Ron Kolm 399
NEIGHBOR (1987) Thurston Moore 282
IN BROOKLYN (1991) Deborah Pintonelli 401
“THE RED HIGH HEELS” FROM Love Me 284
Tender (1987) Catherine Texier JANINE, OR HOW MY GRANDMOTHER DIED AND 405
LEFT ME HOLDING THE BANANA (1991)
“MONEY” FROM Kill the Poor (1988) Joel Rose 287 Joe Maynard
FULCRUM OF DISASTER (1988) Susie Timmons 294 EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY-ONE (1991) David Trinidad 411
FROM Totem of the Depraved (1988) Nick Zedd 296 A SHORT HISTORY OF EVERYONE IN THE 418
WORLD (1992) Jose Padua
MORE OR LESS URGENT (1988) Nina Zivancevic 299
THE SHOWER (1992) Tsaurah Litzky 423
GATHERING BRUISES (1989) Max Blagg 304
FROM “BETWEEN THE HAMMER AND 425
BEAUTIES WHO LIVE ONLY FOR AN 305 THE ANVIL” (1992) Lydia Lunch
AFTERNOON (1989) Denise Duhamel
THREE POEMS FROM I Always Vote for Sparrow 429
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (1989)Janice Eidus 307 for President (1992) Sparrow
BREAD AND WATER (1989) Eileen Myles 314 A DIVISION OF WATER (1992) David Rattray 432
FROM Beer Mystic (1989) bart plantenga 323 THE WEIRDNESS OF THE TEXT (1992) 433
Jill S. Rapaport
FROM Horse Crazy (1989) Gary Indiana 328
“GO AHEAD” AND “MISTAKEN IDENTITY” (1992) 436
G-9 (1989) Tim Dlugos 338 Bruce Weber
SELF-PORTRAIT IN TWENTY-THREE ROUNDS 438
PART THREE: (1984/1991) David Wojnarowicz
THE 1990S
“WAR STARS,” AN EXCERPT FROM 442
THE FICTIONAL MEMOIR “GIVING UP THE
GHOST” (1991) Mike Golden
INTRODUCTION TO THE 1990S 348
DOWNTOWN PUBLICATION ROUNDUP: 457
FROM “NORTH OF ABYSSINIA” (1990) 352 AN ADDENDUM
Maggie Dubris
AFTERWORD: THE SCENE: A CONVERSATION 463
THE NEW SCHOOL 1990 (1990) 356 BETWEEN DENNIS COOPER AND EILEEN MYLES
Richard Armijo
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS 483
FOLK (1990) John Farris 357
TEXTUAL CREDITS 492
FROM The Colorist (1990) Susan Daitch 358
PICTORIAL CREDITS 497
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING IN 365 C
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BROOKLYN (1990) Sharon Mesmer ABOUT THE EDITOR 510 N
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PART ONE: East Village Eye, VOL. 2 NO. 12, 95
THE 1970S
“DEATH OF PUNK” (1980)
Art: John Holmstrom; Art Director: Gaby Moritz
SLUM JOURNAL NO. 5 FROM THE 96
Modern Love, COVER (1977) 38 EAST VILLAGE EYE (1980) Richard Hell
Punk NO. 2, COVER (1976) 46 Soho News, NOVEMBER 5–11, 99
PHOTO OF LAURIE ANDERSON (1980)
dodgems NO. 2, COVER (1979) 48 Photo: Jimmy DeSana
RICHARD HELL & THE VOIDOIDS AT CBGB’S, 50 Soho News, OCTOBER 22, 1980, 99
FLYER (1978) COVER (1980)
Photo: Allan Tannenbaum
FROM KOFF NO. 2: KOFF MANIFESTO (1978) 53
ALUMINUM NIGHTS AT THE KITCHEN, 103
FROM KOFF NO. 2: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 54 FLYER (1981)
(1978)
CLUB 57: SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE (1980) 104
FROM KOFF NO. 1: CONSUMPTIVE POETS 55
LEAGUE T-SHIRT (1977) COLOR STORIES (1980–1983) Holly Anderson 105
KOFF NO. 3 COVER (1979) 56 Bomb, VOL. 1 NO. 1, COVER (1981) 111
Photo: Sarah Charlesworth; Design: Mark Magill
WORDS IN REVERSE, COVER (1979) 64
Photograph by Marcia Resnick MAX BLAGG AND JIM FARMER, FLYER (1981) 112
East Village Eye, VOL. 1 NO. 1, COVER (1979) 68 “GRAFFITI”: Public Illumination Magazine 114
Artwork: Dana Gilbert; Art Director: Christof Kohlhoefer NO. 13 (1981) Art: Kip Herring
SLUM JOURNAL NO. 1, FIRST PAGE, FROM THE 69 The Low-Tech Manual, COVER (1981) 114
East Village Eye (1979) Richard Hell Art: Art Spiegelman
New York City in 1979, COVER (1981) 72 EILEEN MYLES AT ATTITUDE ART, 114
Photo: Anne Turyn FLYER/POSTCARD (1981)
Tear to open: this this this this this this 77 Zone NO. 7, COVER (1981) Art: Michael Madore 115
BY BOB HOLMAN, COVER (1979)
Design: Joe Chassler/PowerMad Press “ITALIAN FOOD” FROM Colorful Tales (1983) 117
Text: Peter Cherches; Design: Purgatory Pie Press
Bikini Girl, VOL. 1 NO. 2, COVER (1979) 78
Lisa B. Falour 5 + 5 ANNOUNCEMENT, LOW TECH 118
PRESS (1984) Art: Jörga Cardin
Bikini Girl, VOL. 1 NO. 3, COVER (1979) 78
Lisa B. Falour HANDBILL FOR Appearances NO. 8 RELEASE 121
PARTY AT ART ET INDUSTRIE (1982)
3RD ANNUAL AMES LITERARY BENEFIT 122
N PART TWO: AT THE POETRY PROJECT,
W THE 1980S
FLYER (1980)
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O I AT BUTLER LIBRARY, FLYER (1981)
S
T TWO PAGES OF ORIGINAL ART FOR 91
U Blood and Guts in High School (CA. 1984) Benzene NO. 4, COVER (1982) 128
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Benzene/Zone NO. 10, THE NOTHING ISSUE 129 Wallpaper BENEFIT AT ONE STOP 174
(PART ONE) (1981–5) Art/Design: Allan Bealy ART SHOP, FLYER (1984) Art: Peter Bernard
Bomb, PUBLISHING PARTY AT DANCETERIA, 130 PHOTO OF KATHY ACKER (1984) 175
INVITATION (1982) Art: Mary Heilman; Photo: Robert Mapplethorpe
Design: Mark Magill
Between C & D, VOL. 1 NO. 2, COVER (1984) 176
3 TEENS KILL 4 AT THE UNDERGROUND, 131 Art: Rick Prol
FLYER (1982)
Portable Lower East Side NO. 1, COVER, 179
Adulterers Anonymous BY LYDIA LUNCH AND 132 FRONT/BACK (1984) Art/Design: Kurt Hollander
EXENE CERVENKA, COVER (1982)
Photo: David Arnoff Ground Zero 1–4, 1984, FROM THE 182
East Village Eye (1984) Art/Words: James Romberger
TO BRUCE WITH LOVE, ILLUSTRATION 136 and Marguerite Van Cook
FOR URSULE MOLINARO’S “AC-DC” (1982)
Art: Scott Neary Redtape NO. 4 (MOCK-UP), COVER (1984) 184
Art: Michael Roman
REDTAPE NO. 2 “ASSEMBLAGE,” COVER (1982) 145
Art: Michael Carter HI TECH LOW LIFE “FILM, DISCOURSE, 190
AND DANCE” AT DARINKA, AUGUST 18, 1984,
HANDBILL FOR Redtape NO. 3 BENEFIT AT 146 FLYER (1984)
DANCETERIA (1983) Art: Greer Lankton
New Observations (CRITICAL LOVE: EDITED 191
FLYER FOR A READING BY MICHAEL 146 BY LYNNE TILLMAN), NO. 26 (1984)
LA BOMBARDA, ROBERT LUNDAY, RON KOLM, Art/Design: Mark Magill
HAL SIROWITZ (1983)
LYNNE TILLMAN WITH KIKI SMITH: 192
Appearances NO. 10, COVER (1983) 147 FROM “MADAME REALISM” (1984)
Photo: Richard Sandler Text: Lynne Tillman; Art: Kiki Smith
BLACK MARKET PRESS 2ND ANNUAL 150 JEALOUSY & SUNSTROKE, 1984 193
FEAST OF UNBRAINING AT ST. CLEMENTS, (PHOTO OF Safe BY DENNIS COOPER WITH
FLYER (1982) KNIFE IN IT) (1984) Max Blagg
ERIC BOGOSIAN, In the Dark, COVER (1983) 154 Soho Arts Weekly, NO. 1, SEPTEMBER 25, 1985, 193
Photo: Paula Court COVER (1985) Art: Art Spiegelman
JUST ANOTHER ASSHOLE, NO. 6, 155 POSTER FOR BENEFIT FOR NOTHING (1982) 193
COVER (1983) Design: Barbara Ess Design: Dikko Faust/Purgatory Pie Press
Seduction of Chaos, FLYER (1982) 158 Avenue E BENEFIT FEATURING 194
Design: Barbara Ess COOKIE MUELLER AND GARY INDIANA
AT NEITHER/NOR, FLYER (1985)
WEDGE,Partial Texts: Essays & Fictions, 167
ISSUES 3/4/5 WINTER/SUMMER/SPRING, Between C & D, VOL. 2 NO. 2, COVER (1985) 195
COVER (1983) Art: Barbara Kruger
ROBERTA ALLEN, FROM Partial Portrait, 168 BETWEEN C & D READINGS AT DARINKA/ABC 196
COVER, FROM WEDGE, ISSUES 3/4/5 NO RIO, FLYER (1985)
WINTER/SUMMER/SPRING (1983)
Anarcadium Pan BY CARL WATSON, COVER (1985) 196
HAL SIROWITZ, “CRUMBS” (1984) 170 Art: Matt Straub
Text: Hal Sirowitz; Design: Purgatory Pie Press
Blatant Artifi ce NO. 1, COVER (1986) 196
Redtape NO. 4 BENEFIT AT DANCETERIA, 171 Art: Paul Kalinowski
FLYER (1984) Art/Design: Patrick Howe
THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY BRAIN, 197
DENNIS COOPER AND ALICE NOTLEY, 172 PYRAMID CLUB, FLYER (1986)
THE POETRY PROJECT, FLYER (1984)
Soho Arts Weekly, NO. 9, 198
THE Underground Film Bulletin NO. 1, COVER 173 PHOTO OF KAREN FINLEY, COVER (1985)
(1984) Art/Design: Nick Zedd Photo: Mark Jenkinson C
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