BOOK'S TOO HOT FOR LEFTY MAG
CHOCOLATE-smeared performance artist Karen Finley isn't so sweet on liberal political weekly The Nation these days.
Finley - the art world provocateur whose Tawana Brawley-inspired chocolate-smear piece, "We Keep Our Victims Ready," was shot down by the National Endowment for the Arts back in 1990 - claims The Nation is too squeamish to interview her about her new book, "George & Martha."
Finley's publisher, Amy Scholder of Verso Books, claims the lefty mag abruptly canceled its story on the illustrated tome earlier this week because the assigned journalist was "offended by anal sex."
We'll let Scholder explain: "Technically, there's no anal sex in 'George & Martha,' which is a political satire about an imagined affair between George W. Bush and Martha Stewart.
"In the book . . . [Bush] gloats about invading Iraq, and invading Martha, and also reveals himself as an infantile, narcissistic personality who at one point imagines that Osama bin Laden is hiding in his [bleep]hole. Could this point really be what's offensive about 'George & Martha'? . . .
"What's more," Scholder continues, "We're offended by the notion that anal sex is offensive. Who would have thought that a Nation journalist would have so much in common with those right-wing bigots who have complained about the sexuality in 'Brokeback Mountain?' At least they confront - and write about - the art that offends."
But a Nation spokesman pooh-poohed the controversy, explaining that while the free-lancer who was assigned the piece backed out, the Nation is still willing to post an excerpt of Finley's book on its Web site.
"No one on the staff of The Nation is afraid of sex," he added. "In fact, we quite enjoy it as frequently as possible."
Finley, of course, is no stranger to public feuds. After her grant application to the N.E.A. was rejected because of "inappropriate" content, she and three other artists sued and won their case for reinstatement, but ultimately lost a Supreme Court appeal.
Her 1993 free-speech battle with Sen. Jesse Helms made her a lightning rod for right-wingers. Her resulting notoriety landed her a gig posing for Playboy and several talk show appearances.