Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
“A lean-forward experience, and in its most transcendent moments, reading it can feel like having the best conversation of your life.” NPR Books
Review
“[Nelson] dexterously, and creatively, manages to hold a mirror to our culture's fascination with cruelty and invites us to reflect on our personal reasons for indulging it.” Literary Hub
Review
“I hope that critics, and aspiring critics, and those who are interested in the relationship between art and ethics, read [ The Art of Cruelty]. New Republic"
About the Author
Maggie Nelson is the author of several books, including Bluets and The Art of Cruelty. She teaches at CalArts and lives in Los Angeles, California.