Callie’s, a.p., and MOIST Books are thrilled to host the launch for Callie’s resident Susan Finlay’s fifth novel, “The Jacques Lacan Foundation, ” on Monday, June 27th at 7:00PM. On this occasion, Finlay will be present for a reading with Estelle Hoy, alongside a digital reading by Stephanie LaCava.
Finlay is the author of five novels and three poetry pamphlets; although best known for her writing practice, she also works as an artist and curator. Across these varied roles, her lines of inquiry remain cohesive, encompassing, but not limited to, psychoanalysis, the supernatural, and the visual and decorative arts. Of her work, Finlay says: “I’m interested in the ways in which writing can be performative, and I’m influenced by lots of ‘unliterary literature’ like psychoanalytic case studies.”
“The Jacques Lacan Foundation” charts an incisive (and raucous) path through the culture of academia, institutions, and the authorities that legitimize them. Following Nicki Smith, a British expat in Austin and devotée of Kate Moss, the novel is a farcical romp surrounding Nicki’s “low-paid glamour job” at the eponymous Jacques Lacan Foundation. Bitingly ironic and unstoppably clever, the novel explores rifts between language and meaning, ultimately questioning the “authenticity” of, well, almost everything.
Estelle Hoy is a writer and art critic based in Berlin. Her second book, the critically acclaimed “Pisti 80 Rue de Belleville” (After 8 Books), was released in 2020 with an introduction by Chris Kraus. She is currently collaborating on a book and exhibition with Camille Henrot for ICA Milano. Hoy regularly publishes in the international art press.
Stephanie LaCava is a writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared in Harper’s, Artforum, Texte zur Kunst, the New York Times, the New York Review of Books, Vogue, and Interview. Her debut novel, “The Superrationals,” was published by Semiotext(e) in 2020. At the event, LaCava will present a digital reading from her forthcoming novel, “I Fear My Pain Interests You,” published by Verso in September 2022.
Attendance is free but spots are limited; please register via this link. Kindly note that this event follows 2G+ rules. Please bring proof of vaccination as well as one of the following: a negative Covid test from the past 24 hours; proof of recovery from Covid; or proof of booster.