On the Work of Kevin Killian

This Periscope reflects on the work of the New Narrative writer Kevin Killian (1952-2019), with essays on Fascination, Tony Greene Era, the Tagged project, the relationship between New Narrative and queer theory, Spreadeagle, and his body of work in the context of 80s and 90s sexual cultures more broadly. We will be posting one essay per week.

Extreme Remedies

Cam Scott

The hallmarks of poet and novelist Kevin Killian’s style are various—variousness, in fact, may be counted among them. Writer Dodie Bellamy, who married Killian in 1985, speaks of his “protean slips between high and low culture,” modeling an absolute equality … Continue reading “Extreme Remedies”

Action Kevin

Kay Gabriel

Any poetic writing about and through pop culture wants to flush the residues of a Romantic ideology of original virtuosic composition without also thereby disposing of the subject. Kathy Acker describes the insouciant fun of unoriginal writing: “It’s like a … Continue reading “Action Kevin”