Shawna Kenney

Shawna Kenney

Shawna Kenney (born August 4, 1969) is an American author and journalist.

Kenney was born in Auburn, New York. She authored the memoir I Was a Teenage Dominatrix (Last Gasp) at the age of 29. The book developed an underground cult following, receiving a Firecracker Alternative Book Award^[1] in 2000, with translations published in Italy^[2] and the UK. 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 Pills, Thrills, Chills and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person (edited by Michelle Tea and Clint Catalyst), 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 Roger Gastman and Shepard Fairey's publication Swindle Magazine, with her work spotlighting feminist and countercultural artists.^[3]

Kenney promoted punk shows at the Safari Club in Washington, DC in the late 80s while writing and publishing DC-area fanzine No Scene Zine.^[4] She graduated from the American University in 1995. After moving to Los Angeles, she founded Puppet Terror^[5] (featured in Spin Magazine, May 2001) with authors Pleasant Gehman, Iris Berry, and Clint Catalyst. She also hosted literary events, including a monthly spoken word series entitled The Unhappy Hour at the Parlour Club, which was founded by punk poet/actress Lydia Lunch.^[6]

Partnering with Cara Bruce, Kenney runs publishing house Pinchback Press. The two also co-edit the Shades of Truth anthology series.^[7]

Works

Books

• I Was a Teenage Dominatrix: A Memoir. Los Angeles: Retro Systems, 1999. ISBN 978-0-86719-530-9
  • Reprinted: Last Gasp Books (San Francisco, 2002), Corgi/Random House (UK 2002), Baldini Castaldi (Italy 2004)
• Imposters. Mark Batty Publisher 2008. ISBN 0-9790486-8-0
• Book Lovers: Sexy Stories from Under the Covers. Berkeley: Seal Press, 2014. ISBN 978-1580055291

Essays

• "Punk LA" in The Underground Guide to Los Angeles. Manic D Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0-916397-81-4
• "Something from Nothing" in Without a Net: The Female Experience of Growing Up Working Class. Seal Press, 2003. ISBN 978-1-58005-103-3
• "Shiny Baubles" in Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person. Alyson Publications Inc., 2004 ISBN 978-1-55583-753-2
• "The Wild Dogs of Nicaragua", The Florida Review Special Edition, May 2005
• Thoughts of Yesterday, My First Time: A Collection of First Punk Show Stories. AK Press, 2007. ISBN 978-1-904859-17-8
• "Seven Minutes" in Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys: Professionals Writing on Life, Love, Money, and Sex. Soft Skull, 2009. ISBN 978-1-59376-241-4
• "Articles of Faith" in Madonna and Me: Women Writers on the Queen of Pop. Soft Skull Press, 2012. ISBN 978-1593764296

Other appearances

• Etiquette for Outlaws. Harper Collins, 2001. ISBN 978-0-380-80152-7
• "Joe Strummer: Still Punk, After All These Years?" in Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer. Avalon Publishing Group, 2004. ISBN 1-56025-625-7
• Putting Your Passion Into Print. Workman Publishing, 2005. ISBN 978-0-7611-3122-9

References

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Shawna Kenney

• Official website
• ChuckPalahniuk.net interview
• Salon.com interview
• Portland Mercury article
• "A Southern tradition of celebrating the dead strengthens the bonds among the living" by Shawna Kenney, Star News Online, October 21, 2007