Born 1947 in New York City (birth date varies), died 1997 in Tijuana, Mexico. Kathy Acker was an experimental novelist. She studied Classics at Brandeis University and the University of California, San Diego. Transcending the boundaries of childhood trauma, sexuality, politics, literature, and art, her invasive expression has an overwhelming presence, but she continues to divide opinions among feminist critics. She was influenced by William S. Burroughs, the Black Mountain School poets, Fluxus, French critical theory, mysticism, and pornography, among others. Major works include Politics (1972), Blood and Guts in High School (1984), and My Mother: Demonology (1994).