Cultural Critics Delve Into ‘Ugly Feelings’ at REDCAT

CalArts faculty Maggie Nelson, Jack Halberstam and Wayne Koestenbaum (Photos: Heike Steinweg)

This Sunday (Oct. 16), three authors take the stage at REDCAT to present readings that “[invite] us to examine, name and even revel in the ‘ugly feelings’ that fuel the culture of our time.” Exploring the darker realms of human emotion, the readings thread a fine line between “enlightenment and titillation, critical inquiry and tragic comedy, and recognition and denial.”

Organized by CalArts Writing Program faculty Tisa Bryant, the evening features readings from newly published books by Jack Halberstam, Wayne Koestenbaum and CalArts faculty member Maggie Nelson.

More on each author’s work:

  • In The Queer Art of Failure (Duke University Press), Halberstam looks at, among other things, the notion of failure embedded in today’s animation for children.
  • Koestenbaum’s Humiliation (Picador) examines shame for individuals both famous and obscure—not least himself.
  • Nelson’s The Art of Cruelty: A Reckoning (W.W. Norton and Co.) examines representations of violence in art, writing and drama in works expressly designed to shock and awe.
Read an excerpt of Koestenbaum’s Humiliation, titled Fugue #1: Strip Search on The New York Times website.

Jack Halberstam, Wayne Koestenbaum and Maggie Nelson: Ugly Feelings
REDCAT
Oct. 16 at 7 pm
Tickets: $10 general, students $5, CalArts community Free

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