# Kathy Acker

> American novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet (1947–1997)

**Wikidata**: [Q270641](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q270641)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Acker)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/kathy-acker

## Summary
Kathy Acker was an American novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and performance artist whose career spanned from 1947 to 1997. Recognized as a significant figure in belletristic literature, she also worked as a university teacher and prose writer. Acker was affiliated with prominent academic institutions including the City University of New York, the University of California, San Diego, and Brandeis University.

## Biography
- Born: 1947
- Nationality: American (United States)
- Known for: Work as a novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, and performance artist.
- Employer(s): City University of New York, University of California, San Diego, Brandeis University
- Field(s): Literature, Poetry, Performance Art, Academia

## Contributions
Kathy Acker contributed to the literary and artistic landscape through her multifaceted work as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet. She produced belletristic literature, a type of written work involving fictive stories, and engaged in performance art, distinct from traditional performing arts. Additionally, she contributed to the academic field as a university teacher, serving at institutions such as Brandeis University, the City University of New York, and the University of California, San Diego.

## FAQs
**What were Kathy Acker's primary professions?**
Kathy Acker was a novelist, playwright, essayist, poet, writer, prose writer, and performance artist. She also worked professionally as a university teacher.

**Which institutions was Kathy Acker affiliated with?**
She was affiliated with Brandeis University, the City University of New York, and the University of California, San Diego.

**What aliases did Kathy Acker use?**
Throughout her career, Kathy Acker was known by the aliases Karen Lehmann, Black Tarantula, Clay Fear, and The Black Tarantula.

**Who is a notable figure associated with Kathy Acker?**
William S. Burroughs, an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer, is listed as a key person related to her context.

## Why They Matter
Kathy Acker holds significance for her diverse contributions to American literature and art, bridging the gap between written expression and performance. Her work in poetry and essays utilized strong expressiveness and personal points of view to influence the style of belletristic literature. As a university teacher, she played a role in shaping academic discourse at major universities in New York, Massachusetts, and California.

## Notable For
- Occupations spanning novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet.
- Career as a performance artist and prose writer.
- Academic affiliations with Brandeis University, City University of New York, and University of California, San Diego.
- Use of aliases including Karen Lehmann and Black Tarantula.
- Association with key literary figure William S. Burroughs.

## Body
### Identity and Roles
Kathy Acker was a human member of the species Homo sapiens, born in 1947 and deceased in 1997. Her nationality was American, aligning her with the United States. Acker maintained a diverse professional identity, functioning as a writer of novels (novelist), a writer of plays (playwright), a person who writes essays (essayist), and a person who writes poetry (poet). Beyond these primary literary roles, she was also a prose writer and a performance artist, the latter distinguishing her practice from the broader category of performing arts.

### Academic Affiliations
In addition to her creative output, Kathy Acker occupied the role of a university teacher. Her academic career was marked by affiliations with several higher education institutions in the United States. She was connected to Brandeis University, a private research university located in Waltham, Massachusetts. She also held affiliations with public institutions, specifically the City University of New York system and the University of California, San Diego, located in La Jolla, California.

### Literary and Artistic Work
Acker's work encompassed various forms of written and performed expression. She contributed to the field of poetry, a literary style characterized by a strong expressiveness of words. She also authored essays, which are pieces of writing often written from an author's personal point of view. Her contributions to belletristic literature placed her work within the realm of fictive stories, distinct from popular or genre fiction. Throughout her career, she utilized several aliases, including Karen Lehmann, Black Tarantula, Clay Fear, and The Black Tarantula.

### Related Figures
The context of Kathy Acker's life and work includes a relationship with William S. Burroughs. Burroughs was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer who lived from 1914 to 1997. Like Acker, Burroughs was a citizen of the United States and contributed to similar literary and artistic fields.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. Museum of Modern Art online collection
4. [Kathy Acker & McKenzie Wark review: Their emails are fascinating and ghoulish. 2015](https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/kathy-acker--mckenzie-wark-review-their-emails-are-fascinating-and-ghoulish-20150318-143gnn.html)
5. Czech National Authority Database
6. RKDartists
7. American Women Writers
8. International Standard Name Identifier
9. Virtual International Authority File
10. CiNii Research
11. MusicBrainz
12. Internet Speculative Fiction Database
13. filmportal.de
14. FemBio database
15. IMDb
16. Kathy Acker. RKDartists
17. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
18. [Source](http://www.ubu.com/sound/acker.html)
19. [Source](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-476-03702-2_3)
20. LIBRIS. 2004
21. performing-arts.ch