A
resident now of Tarrytown, Karen Finley
is known even beyond the U.S. for her case, Finley vs. the National Endowment
for the Arts, which made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Her effort
to oppose the NEA's Jesse Helms-inspired "decency clause" simplified her
in many eyes as the "chocolate smeared woman" or worse and overshadowed
the very real merits of her writing and performing.
"Yes, she can be outrageous..." says New York Times critic Mel Gussow in the introduction to her memoir, A Different Kind of Intimacy. "But make no mistake: through her art she exercises a valid political purpose... If one is disturbed by her immodesty onstage and in print, it must be remembered that everything is for a reason." Gussow also very helpfully quotes Finley's late mother: "This child of the world is not obscene.... She has the courage to stick to her belief system. And I want to tell you, she has the kindest heart."
She is the recipient of many awards, and her other published works include Shock Treatment, Enough is Enough, Living it Up, Pooh Unplugged, and Aroused: A Collection of Erotic Writing.
We are grateful for this opportunity to get to know better this kind, courageous - and yes, outrageous - writer, performer, neighbor.
Karen Finley is a 2001 Artists' Fellowship recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). This presentation is co-sponsored by Artists & Audiences Exchange, a NYFA public program.
Karen Finley photo by Dona Ann McAdams
Admission
Free
Adult Content
Ms. Finley will be teaching a 4-session workshop at the Writers' Center on Monday evenings beginning January 23, 2003: Creating Art Amidst Human Tragedy
The readings at the HVWC are made possible in part by a grant from the Bydale Foundation; with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts; and by Westchester Arts Council with funds from Westchester County Government, corporations and individuals.