Shawna Kenney

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Shawna Kenney is an American author and journalist born on August 4, 1969 in Auburn, New York. Kenney authored the memoir I Was a Teenage Dominatrix [1] (Last Gasp) at the age of 29. The book developed an underground cult following, receiving a Firecracker Alternative Book Award [2] in 2000, with translations published in Italy [3] and the UK [4]. Kenney's personal essays appear in several anthologies, most notably Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing Up Working Class (Seal Press, edited by Michelle Tea) and Thrills, Pills, Chills and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person, in which she wrote about surviving an abusive relationship.

Kenney has covered music and popular culture for numerous magazines including Juxtapoz, Herbivore, SG, AP, Transworld Skateboarding, Heckler Snow & Skate, Slap, Metal Hammer and Mix Mag UK, among others. She is a regular contributor to Shepard Fairey's publication Swindle Magazine, with her work spotlighting feminist and countercultural artists [5].

Kenney promoted punk shows at the Safari Club in Washington, DC throughout the late 80s, while writing and publishing DC-area fanzine No Scene Zine [[6]]. She graduated from the American University in 1995. After moving to Los Angeles, she founded Puppet Terror (featured in Spin Magazine,May 2001) with authors Pleasant Gehman, Iris Berry, and Clint Catalyst [7]. She also hosted literary events, including a monthly spoken word series entitled the Unhappy Hour, which was founded by punk poet/actress Lydia Lunch.

While primarily a nonfiction writer, Kenney has also written and published fiction [8]. Her voice appears in filmmaker Steve Balderson's latest project, Phone Sex. Kenney occasionally performs as half of spoken word duo Heavy Metal Girlfriend with her husband, guitarist Richard Dolinger. Kenney and Dolinger's wedding ceremony was performed by Los Angeles poet S.A. Griffin.

[edit] Books & Publications

I Was a Teenage Dominatrix: A Memoir, (Retro Systems, Los Angeles, 1999)

Reprinted: Last Gasp Books (San Francisco, 2002), Corgi/Random House, (UK 2002), Baldini Castaldi, (Italy 2004), Ulmeiro Press, (Portugal, forthcoming)

"Serenity" - (short story included in A Pale House Collectiive, 2006)
The Underground Guide to Los Angeles (Manic D Press, 2002)
The Florida Review Special Edition, “The Wild Dogs of Nicaragua" May 2005
“Joe Strummer: Still Punk, After All These Years?” Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer (Avalon Publishing Group), 2004
“Something from Nothing,” Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing Up Working Class (Seal Press), May 2003
“Shiny Baubles,” Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person, (Alyson Books), June 2003