George & Martha

by Karen Finley

George and Martha meet in a seedy motel room on the night before the Republican National Convention. Their affair goes way back, before George stole the election, before Martha built an empire on fascist domesticity. As usual, George numbs his pain over waging perpetual war with cocaine and the promise of kinky sex. Martha is forced to take a long view of her life as she suffers the public humiliation of corporate scandal, on the brink of going to prison. Written in the style of Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, George & Martha is Karen Finley’s most scandalous work to date, a hilarious satire that takes a radical stand on political power, psychosexual relations between men and women, and the current state of affairs. Lavishly illustrated with drawings by the author.

Genres: Fiction

105 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

KAREN 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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Reviews

[David Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such an odd book, which apparently began as a two person play. I love the jokey premise--Martha Stewart and George W. Bush are having a clandestine love affair--but beyond the basic joke, kind of dull. The echoes of Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" are clever but the book didn't really work for me. Finley has wonderful drawings sprinkled throughout the book and they were my favorite part!

[Sadie Forsythe]

politically satirical play
dated, obviously
too weird to even rate

[jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

From chocolate-covered Karen Finley, Martha Stewart and George W. Bush's tawdry hotel room tryst the night before she ships out to Camp Cupcake. Fucking hilarious but also kind of wrenching.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satire is a beautiful thing.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karen finley loves to take a metaphor, bash it over your head until you can't take it anymore, then twist it into something heartfelt and significant, then the head bashing continues.

[ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

bahahahahahaa

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

B Imagine if, on the eve of Martha's imprisonment, she is spending a romantic and bizarre night with her lover, GWBush. Hilarious, ridiculous, fun.