Writing in the tradition of Susan Sontag and Elaine Scarry, Maggie Nelson has emerged as one of our foremost cultural critics with this landmark work about representations of cruelty and violence in art. From Sylvia Plath’s poetry to Francis Bacon’s paintings, from the Saw franchise to Yoko Ono’s performance art, Nelson’s nuanced exploration across the artistic landscape ultimately offers a model of how one might balance strong ethical convictions with an equally strong appreciation for work that tests the limits of taste, taboo, and permissibility.

“This is criticism at its best.” ―Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times

Author: Maggie Nelson
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Page Count: 304pp
Size: 5.5 x 8.25
Notes: paperback
Date of Publication: August 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0393343144