by Lucy Sante
First published 2022
Lucy Sante gathers her scattered writings from nearly three decades into one volume. These pieces, published between 1993 and 2020, explore the hidden corners of American culture. Sante examines New York during the gritty seventies and eighties, profiles Patti Smith, analyzes FBI wanted posters, and considers the mythology of cowboys. She writes about photographer Vivian Maier, artist David Wojnarowicz, and the world of fotonovelas. The collection includes long essays, brief observations, autobiographical notes, and occasional fiction. Sante moves from meditations on the color navy blue to reflections on collage art and the fleeting nature of youth. Each piece captures what she calls the sediments of contemporary life, the cultural debris that accumulates in our daily experience. The book reveals how underground movements and overlooked phenomena shape our understanding of modern America.
Genres: art, essays, 20th-century, american, 21st-century, cultural-studies
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, meditations
Setting: New York
Period: 1970s, 1980s, 1993-2020
376 pages · Paperback · Libros del K.O.