The biographies of the great men see their excesses as signs of their greatness. But Jean Rhys, in her biography, is read as borderline; Anaรฏs Nin is borderline; Djuna is borderline; etc. etc. Borderline personality disorder being an overwhelmingly gendered diagnosis. I write in Heroines: โThe charges of borderline personality disorder are the same charges against girls writing literature, I realize - too emotional, too impulsive, no boundaries."
Kate ZambrenoI'm exposing faultlines, dealing especially with rhetoric. Showing that heterosexuality is a disease, or at least its inheritance.
Kate ZambrenoThe hope in literature is that we are allowed to be imperfect, to write of our imperfection, without being overly critiqued for being unlikeable.
Kate ZambrenoI think that writing and publishing are different. I think I will always write; I might not always publish. The idea of not publishing is wonderful!
Kate ZambrenoIf one writes the rules then one can contradict oneself. It's all about rhetoric, about official narratives.
Kate Zambreno