Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco: Karen Finley in conversation with Nell Ruby

From the venue:

This event takes place in person at Charis and on crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. Click here to register to attend virtually. Please read the in-person event guidelines at the bottom of this page to be sure you can participate in the event. 

Charis welcomes Karen Finley in conversation with Agnes Scott Art professor Nell Ruby for a discussion of Covid Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco, a poetic meditation on the extraordinary time of loss, isolation, and bizarre rituals of the Covid era and its aftermath. 

First performed at sold-out theaters in New York, this vivid suite of prose poems invokes a maelstrom of feelings that will make you laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page. Throughout this collection, Finley processes the pandemic in all its complexity--from the collective coping strategies during isolation and loss to the absurd new habits we acquired, from handwashing to wiping down groceries to decorative double masks and zoom dance parties. 

During COVID, tragic historic events such as the police murder of George Floyd and the continued brutality on Black and brown bodies, challenged the nation. Revolution took to the streets. The reversal of Roe v Wade and the criminalizing of trans peoples' bodies, mental health realities, houselessness, essential workers' rights, and social isolation brought desperate conditions. Finley reflects on these traumas, orbiting around the central question - how do we employ love despite the hate, to encourage humanity despite proliferating violence?

As Covid rates never seem to cease rising, our natural fears and anxieties are, sadly, close at hand. On the fifth anniversary of the pandemic lockdown, COVID Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco looks back while also looking forward, offering art as salvation, and the deep belief in the power of words, compassion, and humor to transcend the harsh realities of today.

About the Author 

Karen Finley is an artist, performer, and poet. Born in Chicago, she received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute. Finley was the named plaintiff for the Supreme Court case Finley v. NEA that challenged the decency provision in government grants to artists through the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work has been presented internationally such as the Barbican in London; Lincoln Center, New York City; Art Basel in Miami; and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, among others. She is the author of ten books, including COVID Vortex Anxiety Opera Kitty Kaleidoscope Disco (forthcoming from City Lights, 2025) Grabbing Pussy (OR Books, 2018), the 25th anniversary edition of Shock Treatment (City Lights, 2015), and The Reality Shows (Feminist Press, 2011). A recipient of many awards and grants, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, she is a professor in Art and Public Policy at New York University. She lives in Westchester County, New York.

About the Interviewer

Nell Ruby is a mixed-media installation artist interested in exploring the experience of perception. Using common materials, direct drawing and projected video in large-scale site-specific works, Ruby transforms solid walls into rolling hills, blue skies and seemingly endless planes of light. Imbued with this sense of play, Ruby’s work also brings to mind the darker undertones of a more serious world, one that juxtaposes public and private space, performance and observation, fears and dreamlike experiences.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate or in person at the event.

Charis Books is a fully wheelchair accessible space with on site van accessible parking, two ramps, and additional overflow accessible parking nearby. Additional accessibility information can be found on the Accessibility page of our website. 

In-person event guidelines:

All attendees must wear a face mask during the event.
We will begin seating people at 7:30 PM ET.
This event will be live-streamed via crowdcast. Click here to register to attend virtually.
As a reminder: If you are not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or to request specific accessibility accommodations, please contact info@charisbooksandmore.com or call the store at 404-524-0304.

If you would like to watch the virtual event with computer-generated captions, please watch in Google Chrome and enable captions. If you have other accessibility needs or if you are someone who has skills in making digital events more accessible please don't hesitate to reach out to info@chariscircle.org. We are actively learning the best practices for this technology and we welcome your feedback as we continue to connect across distances.

By attending our event you agree to our Code of Conduct: Our event seeks to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), class, or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate. Anyone violating these rules will be expelled from this event and all future events at the discretion of the organizers. Please report all harassment to info@chariscircle.org immediately.