Artist and Author: Constance DeJong Editor: Rachel Valinsky Publisher: Primary Information (2022) The first anthology of the multivocal, narrational, performative writings of the intermedia pioneer, who has quietly influenced generations of New York artists and writers from Kathy Acker to Ellie Ga. A leading figure of the 1970s and ‘80s downtown New York performance scene, Constance DeJong has channeled time and language as her mediums for the last four decades. The artist’s experimental prose, multimedia spoken text works, recitational performance, and digital and media art projects expand the possibilities of narrative form, literary genre and technological interactivity. This reader is the first anthology to collect DeJong’s writing to date. Including out-of-print experimental short fiction such as the 2013 publication and performance SpeakChamber, the book also features numerous scripts for performances such as Relatives, a duet between a television and a performer made in collaboration with artist Tony Oursler. Spanning text for disembodied voices emanating from reengineered radios, sound pieces, video works and public art commissions, this anthology gathers DeJong’s contributions to language and media art in all their forms.
