Described as radical and gossipy when published 20 years ago, writer and critic Chris Kraus’ novel I Love Dick, set in New Zealand and New York, has turned out to have enduring clout, netting fans such as Lena Dunham with its confessional format and its interrogation of misogyny. The book is now a television pilot, directed by Emmy-winner Jill Soloway and featuring Kevin Bacon and Kathryn Hahn. Its success has also prompted the re-release of another Kraus novel Torpor, described by Slate as resisting “the cult of relentless positivity” by “cultivating a much-needed counter-aesthetics of despair”. Kraus speaks with Kevin Rabalais about who gets to speak and why.

Supported by New Zealand Contemporary Art Trust