Lynda Hart – författare

-- Mark Steinberg, University of Illinois

Focusing on a variety of representations, from the boundary-shattering work of queer performances to the daring conjunction of childhood sexual abuse and desire in the work of Dorothy Allison, Between the Body and the Flesh stimulates discussions of s/m through the exploration of censorship in the arts, the fetishization of sexual paraphernalia, recombinations of class, race and sexuality, and the politics of psychoanalysis.

The "Critical Performance" series pairs a performance artist or playwright with a critical theorist in a dialogue aimed to elucidate bothdisciplines. This volume focuses on Deb Margolin, one of the three founding members of the American performance troupe Split Britches.

A wonderfully helpful survey of the drama of Sam Shepard. It is bound to find many eager readers among those who are either intrigued or baffled--or both--by the plays of this still-young playwright whom many think contemporary America's finest. ChoiceAmerica's most highly acclaimed contemporary playwright continues to puzzle critics, even as his reputation grows and his imagination seeks new creative channels. Finding the dramatist difficult to classify, critics and scholars continue to search for the central direction of Shepard's creative development. Lynda Hart's study, which focuses on ten representative plays, is the first book to examine Shepard's growth and development as a dramatist within and against the historical tradition. Offering a unified critical perspective, the author considers the plays from both a literary standpoint and as texts for performance. Resources include a bibliography that offers the most complete listing of relevant critical writings.

Starting from the historical link between criminality and sexual deviancy, Lynda Hart builds a complex and original theory in which the shadow of the lesbian animates representations of violent women in literature, plays, films and performance. Chapters detail this theory in diverse areas, including: * Frank Wedekind's Lulu Plays * Thelma and Louise and Basic Instinct * the performance art of Karen Finley in the context of censorship debates * The Split Britches' performance Lesbians Who Kill Fatal Women is a major contribution to lesbian theory and cultural studies. It is a challenging, stimulating and rewarding study.

Making a Spectacle: Feminist Essays on Contemporary Women's Theatre, edited by Lynda Hart, illuminates the dynamic intersection of feminism and theatre. This volume brings together scholars and practitioners to analyze, theorize, and celebrate the rich diversity and subversive power of contemporary women's playwriting and performance.Spanning theoretical essays, close readings, and case studies, the book confronts both the historical marginalization and the creative strategies of women playwrights from the late twentieth century. Contributors explore how women have challenged patriarchal norms, re-envisioned dramatic structures, politicized theatrical space, and foregrounded issues of gender, sexuality, race, and class. Essays address influential artists and movements in American and British theatre, highlighting voices such as Caryl Churchill, Ntozake Shange, Maria Irene Fornes, Tina Howe, and groups like the WOW Cafe.From interrogating the male gaze and the politics of representation to celebrating collectivity and experimenting with language, Making a Spectacle considers the ways women theatre artists resist and reinvent the conventions of stage and story. Insightful, provocative, and accessible, this collection is essential reading for scholars, students, theatre-makers, and anyone interested in feminist performance, cultural criticism, or the artistry of women who have reclaimed the stage.

Starting from the historical link between criminality and sexual deviancy, Lynda Hart builds a complex and original theory in which the shadow of the lesbian animates representations of violent women in literature, plays, films and performance. Chapters detail this theory in diverse areas, including: * Frank Wedekind''s Lulu Plays * Thelma and Louise and Basic Instinct * the performance art of Karen Finley in the context of censorship debates * The Split Britches'' performance Lesbians Who Kill Fatal Women is a major contribution to lesbian theory and cultural studies. It is a challenging, stimulating and rewarding study.