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Grabbing Pussy
A celebrated performance artist’s mesmerizing riffs on sex in American politics.
Based on her widely praised performance piece Unicorn Gratitude Mystery ("Wickedly funny," as described by The New York Times ), Karen Finley’s Grabbing Pussy explores the Shakespearean dynamics that surface when libidos and loyalties clash in the public and private personas of Donald Trump, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner, and now Harvey Weinstein.
Standing in the tradition of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl , Finley’s words jolt the reader into new insights about the ways the darkly private can drive the public realm in dizzying twists and turns. The aggression of intimacy, the disparity of gender, and the vital importance of hair are all encompassed in Finley’s exhilarating canter.
Based on her widely praised performance piece Unicorn Gratitude Mystery ("Wickedly funny," as described by The New York Times ), Karen Finley’s Grabbing Pussy explores the Shakespearean dynamics that surface when libidos and loyalties clash in the public and private personas of Donald Trump, Hillary and Bill Clinton, Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner, and now Harvey Weinstein.
Standing in the tradition of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl , Finley’s words jolt the reader into new insights about the ways the darkly private can drive the public realm in dizzying twists and turns. The aggression of intimacy, the disparity of gender, and the vital importance of hair are all encompassed in Finley’s exhilarating canter.
- GenresPoetryNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2018
7 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Karen Finley
26 books37 followersKAREN FINLEYs raw and transgressive performances have long provoked controversy and debate. She has appeared and exhibited her visual art, performances, and plays internationally. The author of many books including A Different Kind of Intimacy , George & Martha , and Shock Treatment , she is a professor at the Tisch School of Art and Public Policy at NYU.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 24, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |
Grabbing Pussy by Karen Finley was hard for me to read. Not because it wasn’t a good commentary, not because it wasn’t impressively written, and ironically not even because of the vulgarity. This book was hard for me to read because with every turn of the page it reminded me who the current President of the United States is. It was hard to read because, as it quoted the despicable and disgusting man currently living in the White House, I feared for my safety and the safety of others. It was hard to read because the man quoted has powers he should never have been given. It was hard to read because I felt my world imploding around me with every single word I read from the pages.
Finley does a pretty fantastic job of raging at the current situation, of using an art form to express her disgust with the current President, the administration, the people who voted for him, and the damage it causes us all. She does a pretty amazing job of instilling fear within myself as she responds to the terrifying words that have left Donald Trump’s mouth. And the funny thing is, without this book, I’d still be afraid. I’d still have read and heard all the damning things that have come from this pathetic excuse for a human being. But the way Finley weaves her words is a reminder of the pain so many have been forced to go through since 2016 when the world realized this man was truly going to be in charge.
This book is pretty vulgar, though frankly, I think criticizing it for such is a bit ridiculous considering the words that have left Donald Trump’s dung ridden mouth. But still, that is something to be aware of if you decide to pick up this collection. I appreciate Finley’s turning to her own art in order to adequately respond to the wretched and loathsome people of this country, from Donald Trump and his administration to the reprehensible dimwit who voted for him. I appreciated this book for what it is, but it definitely made me feel pretty awful about the state of the world and while the depression isn’t a direct relation to this collection of poetry, both it and this book are symptoms of the appalling state of this country.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Grabbing Pussy by Karen Finley was hard for me to read. Not because it wasn’t a good commentary, not because it wasn’t impressively written, and ironically not even because of the vulgarity. This book was hard for me to read because with every turn of the page it reminded me who the current President of the United States is. It was hard to read because, as it quoted the despicable and disgusting man currently living in the White House, I feared for my safety and the safety of others. It was hard to read because the man quoted has powers he should never have been given. It was hard to read because I felt my world imploding around me with every single word I read from the pages.
Finley does a pretty fantastic job of raging at the current situation, of using an art form to express her disgust with the current President, the administration, the people who voted for him, and the damage it causes us all. She does a pretty amazing job of instilling fear within myself as she responds to the terrifying words that have left Donald Trump’s mouth. And the funny thing is, without this book, I’d still be afraid. I’d still have read and heard all the damning things that have come from this pathetic excuse for a human being. But the way Finley weaves her words is a reminder of the pain so many have been forced to go through since 2016 when the world realized this man was truly going to be in charge.
This book is pretty vulgar, though frankly, I think criticizing it for such is a bit ridiculous considering the words that have left Donald Trump’s dung ridden mouth. But still, that is something to be aware of if you decide to pick up this collection. I appreciate Finley’s turning to her own art in order to adequately respond to the wretched and loathsome people of this country, from Donald Trump and his administration to the reprehensible dimwit who voted for him. I appreciated this book for what it is, but it definitely made me feel pretty awful about the state of the world and while the depression isn’t a direct relation to this collection of poetry, both it and this book are symptoms of the appalling state of this country.
I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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March 12, 2019
For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle
This is one of those books that is kind of difficult to rate.
I saw this at the library and was instantly pulled in by the bright cover and controversial title as any sane person would be. Going into it, I figured it would have a pretty angry tone and was not surprised to see profanity. But I was not really prepared for the extent of the vulgarity in this book.
I'll start by saying I love that Finley was not afraid to share her rage. You can really feel the anger on each page. It makes the work as a whole utterly raw and real. These poems smack you in the face with the reality of the world whether you are ready for it or not.
However, sometimes that rage clouded the message of the work. I won't go so far as to say that the rage went too far or was unfounded. Finley (and every woman in the world) has every right to be angry and I think that complete disgust with current events adds strength to the work. But sometimes that unchecked angry spins a poem out of control so much so that the original point is overshadowed. Many of the poems were very well thought out in the beginning. For example, I loved the piece, "Rosie O'Donnell" in which Finley pinpoints why Trump hates Rosie O'Donnell in such a rational way that it is easily generalizable to society as a whole. The first two pages were good. Then it keeps going and going and before you know it, Finley is sputtering nonsense and listing random hairstyles, then accusing Trump of being a drag queen. The original message gets totally lost. Many of the poems feel completely unedited and while I don't think one should necessarily edit one's anger, reading over the poems a few times to see if one's point comes across and deleting some of the junk that garbles that message would really have helped this book out.
Also, I am not one to shy away from poop jokes. I enjoy various children's chapter books that utilize such jokes and no matter what, they are funny. Yet The Adventures of Captain Underpants and The Day My Butt Went Psycho have nothing compared to the strange number of poop references in this book. When the first one pops up, you just kind of go with it. It's weird, but okay. Then they just keep coming, sometimes taking up entire pages, and again the message gets lost. Many of the references were completely unnecessary and really took the focus away from the actual intelligent points made in the book. I didn't necessarily object to the jokes/references, it was just that there were so many and sometimes they went on for way too long, making for some surprisingly boring poems.
Overall, I gave this three stars, because despite the nonsense that sneaks its way in, I think Finley does make some good points and I love her unfiltered rage.
This is one of those books that is kind of difficult to rate.
I saw this at the library and was instantly pulled in by the bright cover and controversial title as any sane person would be. Going into it, I figured it would have a pretty angry tone and was not surprised to see profanity. But I was not really prepared for the extent of the vulgarity in this book.
I'll start by saying I love that Finley was not afraid to share her rage. You can really feel the anger on each page. It makes the work as a whole utterly raw and real. These poems smack you in the face with the reality of the world whether you are ready for it or not.
However, sometimes that rage clouded the message of the work. I won't go so far as to say that the rage went too far or was unfounded. Finley (and every woman in the world) has every right to be angry and I think that complete disgust with current events adds strength to the work. But sometimes that unchecked angry spins a poem out of control so much so that the original point is overshadowed. Many of the poems were very well thought out in the beginning. For example, I loved the piece, "Rosie O'Donnell" in which Finley pinpoints why Trump hates Rosie O'Donnell in such a rational way that it is easily generalizable to society as a whole. The first two pages were good. Then it keeps going and going and before you know it, Finley is sputtering nonsense and listing random hairstyles, then accusing Trump of being a drag queen. The original message gets totally lost. Many of the poems feel completely unedited and while I don't think one should necessarily edit one's anger, reading over the poems a few times to see if one's point comes across and deleting some of the junk that garbles that message would really have helped this book out.
Also, I am not one to shy away from poop jokes. I enjoy various children's chapter books that utilize such jokes and no matter what, they are funny. Yet The Adventures of Captain Underpants and The Day My Butt Went Psycho have nothing compared to the strange number of poop references in this book. When the first one pops up, you just kind of go with it. It's weird, but okay. Then they just keep coming, sometimes taking up entire pages, and again the message gets lost. Many of the references were completely unnecessary and really took the focus away from the actual intelligent points made in the book. I didn't necessarily object to the jokes/references, it was just that there were so many and sometimes they went on for way too long, making for some surprisingly boring poems.
Overall, I gave this three stars, because despite the nonsense that sneaks its way in, I think Finley does make some good points and I love her unfiltered rage.
June 25, 2025
Den er ikke lige så god som shock treatment. Den har nogle gode dele men den gentager sig selv meget. Så man skal ikke læse det hele på en gang men snarer i bidder.
February 4, 2019
3.5 stars. The book was certainly engaging, but there were a lot of poems I felt would work better as spoken/performance pieces than they did on the page.
July 20, 2018
It is one of the very few books that has a title that would manage to catch, just about everybody's attention.
While Karen Finley's tone throughout the collection is mostly anger, she has done so with a pinch of snarkiness and wit. But that is where my liking stops. Her choice of words is bound to make you cringe because of it's vulgarity.
The peoms are powerful but quite difficult to follow especially towards the second half. Poetry as such is not preferred by a lot of readers, and when it becomes long and crude, it reduces the numbers even more.
I would however recommend it to those who have a particular interest in honest opinions about the American political situation of 2016. Otherwise, I would not recommend the book to other readers.
While Karen Finley's tone throughout the collection is mostly anger, she has done so with a pinch of snarkiness and wit. But that is where my liking stops. Her choice of words is bound to make you cringe because of it's vulgarity.
The peoms are powerful but quite difficult to follow especially towards the second half. Poetry as such is not preferred by a lot of readers, and when it becomes long and crude, it reduces the numbers even more.
I would however recommend it to those who have a particular interest in honest opinions about the American political situation of 2016. Otherwise, I would not recommend the book to other readers.
September 14, 2018
*Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.*
I wanted to like this book, I really did. And for almost half of the book I did. I didn’t love it, but I liked the tone and the emotion in the pieces.
The second half of the book was what I would call poetic prose. And it really messed up the pacing of the collection. With the play on words and almost children’s book rhythm they were easily digestible but still got the point across and I found myself smiling and nodding a lot. But the second have with the pieces being several pages long almost seemed like rants. And that’s okay. I just feel like they would probably come across better as performance pieces. I actually ended up skimming a lot of them.
I wanted to like this book, I really did. And for almost half of the book I did. I didn’t love it, but I liked the tone and the emotion in the pieces.
The second half of the book was what I would call poetic prose. And it really messed up the pacing of the collection. With the play on words and almost children’s book rhythm they were easily digestible but still got the point across and I found myself smiling and nodding a lot. But the second have with the pieces being several pages long almost seemed like rants. And that’s okay. I just feel like they would probably come across better as performance pieces. I actually ended up skimming a lot of them.
December 17, 2020
Do not expect appetizers. Writer, artist, performance artist Karen Finley never makes her audience wait for the meat. The main course. They are eager to be served and even shocked by what she serves. "Grabbing Pussy" could not have been delivered quite so incisively by anyone else.
. Finley's piercing insight on the incessant and disturbing themes, a relentless, political hell hole of the last four years, assure the reader she is still paying attention. More than her targets give her credit for, and she will not ease off the gas pedal as long as being a woman, being poor, and being sick are all treated as crimes.
. Finley's piercing insight on the incessant and disturbing themes, a relentless, political hell hole of the last four years, assure the reader she is still paying attention. More than her targets give her credit for, and she will not ease off the gas pedal as long as being a woman, being poor, and being sick are all treated as crimes.
June 8, 2018
(maybe more like a 2.5 but I feel like rounding up in this case)
I enjoyed parts of this book a lot, some poems were incredibly powerful and voiced some of the thoughts I - and I'm sure a lot of people - have about certain politicians. Other poems were incredibly long and hard to understand and I wasn't sure if there was a point to them or if they should be this long and repetitive.
All in all, not a bad collection of poetry in an interesting style but also not one I'd necessarily recommend or read again.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
I enjoyed parts of this book a lot, some poems were incredibly powerful and voiced some of the thoughts I - and I'm sure a lot of people - have about certain politicians. Other poems were incredibly long and hard to understand and I wasn't sure if there was a point to them or if they should be this long and repetitive.
All in all, not a bad collection of poetry in an interesting style but also not one I'd necessarily recommend or read again.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.
May 27, 2019
No spoilers here....I tried, but I failed to the see the humor or anything other than snark, vulgar language and sad poetry.Sometimes we are the very thing we hate and that is why we hate it...just a thought because this is as cringey as anything I have seen from POTUS.
I failed to finish, I failed to force myself through this mess but my cat needs to be fed and that won....it is a real cat not an euphemism. I am forced to rate it using the star version, one forced star on NetGalley.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review for a unbiased and fair review.
#DNF
#cringe
I failed to finish, I failed to force myself through this mess but my cat needs to be fed and that won....it is a real cat not an euphemism. I am forced to rate it using the star version, one forced star on NetGalley.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review for a unbiased and fair review.
#DNF
#cringe
March 3, 2019
This book is literally nauseating. But that’s not a bad thing, considering the primary focus is Donald Trump.
The author has a flair for scatological descriptions and bold insinuations. She’s strongest, however, when she pointedly details how it feels for many women to see a self-proclaimed “pussy grabber” ascend to the highest office in the land.
The author has a flair for scatological descriptions and bold insinuations. She’s strongest, however, when she pointedly details how it feels for many women to see a self-proclaimed “pussy grabber” ascend to the highest office in the land.
January 5, 2020
Heavy, relentless, funny and thought provoking. This is poetry that lives in the momentum rather than the pauses. It’s cathartic and reflective nature is utterly necessary in a world that never seems to take a moment to look back or process. While at times hard to read, I am so happy that I kept going.
February 11, 2019
An aggressively creative book inspired by the comments of our decadent and incompetent president, and written by a poet. Use your imagination. Some really good lines in here though not bedtime reading for small children.
August 24, 2022
Had a few amusing moments, but mostly felt like she was trying too hard. Was this satire? A comedy? Mainly just boring and pointless. I get, we were all angry - but what was the point of this? How did it help?
November 21, 2018
Too much potty humor and that’s saying a lot for me. I love poop/fart jokes!
June 20, 2022
My favorite section is the section on Hilary! I loved the poem on what Hillary wears. I also enjoyed the poem shaped like a c*ck.
June 10, 2018
I really enjoyed the first half of this collection, full of power and anger and feminism. Then, the second half just felt rather rambling to me and I just didn't follow, which ruined my reading experience. Overall I feel like the collection read a little rushed? An interesting read but not sure if I would recommend.
June 12, 2020
2.5 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)
DNF at 28% I applaud the author for her creativity for this satiric essay's however it got to be to ridiculous for me to keep going. Each essay is based off of an event/quote made by the now POTUS such as the Billy Bush video, comments made about Rosie O' Donnell and Megan Kelly, to name a few. There was even a several pages dedicated to listing various name for a man's genitals, alphabetically and many in each letter. This is a little too much for me but again I give kudos to the author for writing this book
DNF at 28% I applaud the author for her creativity for this satiric essay's however it got to be to ridiculous for me to keep going. Each essay is based off of an event/quote made by the now POTUS such as the Billy Bush video, comments made about Rosie O' Donnell and Megan Kelly, to name a few. There was even a several pages dedicated to listing various name for a man's genitals, alphabetically and many in each letter. This is a little too much for me but again I give kudos to the author for writing this book
August 6, 2018
This one wasn’t for me. It bounced between feeling like it’s trying too hard and not trying at all.
July 17, 2018
I thought that this was a mind opening set of poetry. I understand where she was coming from putting everything that is happening in our world especially in politics into words. She was angry and fighting for what she believed in. I will admit that it was a little hard for me to get into or follow. I think that if I had a physical copy of the book in the format that the poetry was supposed to be in that it would make more sense. However, it was really difficult to get the flow of it from the ebook.
October 9, 2018
I really, really, really did NOT like this book. It started off promising, but it absolutely did not catch my interest - although this book was a type of political discourse that I firmly agreed with because it discussed the horribleness of 45. Alas, the poetry felt like an unedited stream-of-consciousness, with pages dedicated to multiple nicknames in alphabetical order of male genitalia as well as pages dedicated to discussions of bowel movements.
I am giving this 2 stars because I read some of these poems as potential ideas for a play or musical. I just think that it needs to be condensed and edited!
I am giving this 2 stars because I read some of these poems as potential ideas for a play or musical. I just think that it needs to be condensed and edited!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews