Tactical readings: feminist postmodernism in the novels of Kathy Acker and Angela Carter

224 Pages·2002·0.77 MB·English

by  Nicola Pitchford

front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 1
Tactical Readings
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 2
This page intentionally left blank
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 3
Tactical Readings
Feminist Postmodernism
in the Novels of Kathy Acker
and Angela Carter
Nicola Pitchford
Lewisburg
Bucknell University Press
London: Associated University Presses
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 4
©2002 by Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp.
All rights reserved. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use, or the
internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by the copyright owner, provided
that a base fee of $10.00, plus eight cents per page, per copy is paid directly
to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, Massachusetts 01923.
[0-8387–5487–2/01 $10.00 + 8¢ pp, pc.]
Associated University Presses
440 Forsgate Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512
Associated University Presses
16 Barter Street
London WC1A 2AH, England
Associated University Presses
P.O. Box 338, Port Credit
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L5G 4L8
The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American
National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials
Z39.48-1984.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pitchford, Nicola.
Tactical readings : feminist postmodernism in the novels of Kathy Acker and Angela
Carter / Nicola Pitchford
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0–8387–5487–2 (alk. paper)
1. Acker, Kathy, 1948—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Women and literature—
United States—History—20th century. 3. Women and literature—England—
History—20th century. 4. Carter, Angela, 1940—Criticism and interpretation. 5. Feminist
fiction, American—History and criticism. 6. Feminist fiction, English—History and
criticism. 7. Postmodernism (Literature)—England I. Title.
PS3551.C44 Z8 2002
813’.54099287—dc21
2001035797
printed in the united states of america
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 5
Contents
Acknowledgments 7
Introduction 11
1. A Politicized Postmodernism: Feminist Reading Tactics 20
2. Kathy Acker’s Unreasonable Texts 59
3. Angela Carter’s War of Real Dreams 105
4. Reading Feminism’s Pornography Conflict 151
Epilogue: Readers, Disciplinarity, and Social Practices 181
Notes 188
Works Cited 207
Index 218
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 6
This page intentionally left blank
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 7
Acknowledgments
My first, huge thanks must go to Dale M. Bauer for her perfect sug-
gestions and sustained encouragement. Jill Dolan, Jacques Lezra,
Tom Schaub, and Jonathan Veitch read portions of this project and
provided valuable guidance, as did Tom Foster and the anonymous
readers for Genders.Early drafts benefited greatly (as did I) from the
advice of the Wisconsin writing group: Kari Kalve, Susan Koenig,
Tracy McCabe, Michael Peterson, and Stacy Wolf. And I am deeply
grateful to all my supportive colleagues at Fordham, especially Phil
Sicker.
My mother, Ann Roberts, first introduced me to Angela Carter's
work, which is probably only the least of all the things for which I
owe her thanks—along with all my family.
This book is for Wilson Neate, with thanks and love.
◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊
Portions of chapter 4 appeared in slightly different form as “Reading
Feminism’s Pornography Conflict: Implications for Postmodernist
Reading Strategies,” Genders25 (1997). Copyright © 1997, New York
University. Reproduced by permission of publisher.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to
reprint:
Kathy Acker, from Don Quixote: Which Was a Dream, Empire of the
Senseless,andMy Life My Death by Pier Paolo Pasolini.Copyright © 1986,
1988, 1984, Kathy Acker. Reproduced by permission of Grove/At-
lantic, Inc. and the Estate of Kathy Acker.
7
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 8
8 tactical readings
Angela Carter, from The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman.
Copyright © 1972, Angela Carter. Reproduced by permission of the
Estate of Angela Carter, c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd., 20 Powis
Mews, London W11 1JN.
David Harvey, from The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into
the Origins of Cultural Change. Copyright © 1989, David Harvey. Re-
produced by permission of Basil Blackwell Ltd.
Fredric Jameson, from Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late
Capitalism. Copyright © 1991, Duke University Press. Reproduced by
permission of publisher.
front 8/27/01 4:18 PM Page 9
Tactical Readings