Synopses & Reviews
Following the death of indie pop-star Amanda Palmer her fans and followers began posting anonymous texts on internet blogs and in chat-rooms, taking the form of stories, poems, essays, stream-of-consciousness explorations, each attempting in their own way to attribute her death with some meaning through art. Over time these writings, and the responses they generated, began to exhibit specific shared qualities that marked them out as a unique genre in their own right that, a genre that has come to be known as the Palmeresque. This book originally set out to be the first major study of the Palmeresque, however shortly after initial publication all copies of the book were seized by the Boston Police Department due to the incriminating content of Text Number Nine. The following investigation revealed a complex web of deceit, manipulation and literary fraud that once again raised the questions: who did kill Amanda Palmer; who were the real authors of the texts; who is Tobias James? Finally, and under strict restrictions, permission has been given for this amended edition to published, together with an extensive appendix exploring these and other issues.
Review
"Shelve it in music or shelve it in fiction, but expect Palmers oddly literary fans to come looking for it" --
Booklist "A postmodern Russian nesting doll of realities, complete with poems, charts, and censored text, this book is successful on many levels: creepy and fun when accepted at face value; tantalizing when looked at as evidence in a murder mystery; insightful in its commentary on modern celebrity and culture--in all coy, engaging, and delightfully imagined." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Through a fascinating series of essays, stories, fairy tales, poems, introductions and appendices Kriwaczek explores issues of authorship, celebrity, popular culture, marketing strategies and the culminating steady corruption of art in contemporary culture, all in a wildly exuberant, imaginative and entertaining manner. Another sure fire winner from the author of An Incomplete History of the Art of Funerary Violin." - The Guild of Funerary Violinists Quarterly Newsletter
"An extended exercise in urban legend...a fascinating experiment...If youre an Amanda Palmer fan, hungry for something wonderfully strange, or just love it when shit gets meta, this books worth puzzling over." -- Bostons Weekly Dig
"Strange and clever... bizarre, gothic and fanciful... Kriwaczek does an admirable job of taking the traditional book in new directions... For every faux scientific conclusion, some of which can be quite funny, Kriwaczek still manages some inspired thinking about real issues like the slippery nature of the Internet and relationships between artists and their fans." - Flagpole
Synopsis
In On the Many Deaths of Amanda Palmer Kriwaczek builds on Amanda's playfully gothic image by centering the book around her imagined death. Upon hearing news of Amanda Palmer's death, her fans began posting their own writing, artwork, and thoughts onto the Internet, eventually creating their own genre called the Palmeresque. By collecting a selection of these submissions in one place and providing commentary, Kriwaczeck explores issues of authorship, celebrity, popular culture, marketing strategies and the corruption of art. Amanda's fans will of course enjoy this outrageous depiction of their favorite songstress, and this book also appeals to anyone interested in the essential questions of modern media.
Synopsis
Rohan Kriwaczek again takes us into a strange reality that is not quite real. Amanda Palmer rose to indie rock fame as the front woman for The Dresden Dolls, and continues to thrive as a solo act.