On the Many Deaths of
Amanda Palmer -
and the Many Crimes of
Tobias James
by Rohan Kriwaczek
with an introduction to Doxithanotology by
Prof. Richard D. Davenport
- Hardcover: 240 pages
- Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (July 8, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 159020381X
- ISBN-13: 978-1590203811
- Black and White with 10 pictorial Illustrations and a number of photos, graphs and diagrams
- $24.95 / £16.99
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, 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 be published, together with an extensive appendix exploring these and other issues.
“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
read extracts:
- Read the important Preface to the Second Edition
- Read an extract from On the Dancing Death of Amanda Palmer
- Read an extract from On the Aesthetic Decline of the Mock Funeral
- Read an extract from On the Unsung Death of Amanda Palmer
- Read an extract from Appendix V