Torture the artist
Joey Goebel

15*23 cm., 446 pp., €20
ISBN: 978-960-89726-9-8
Translator: Dimitris Karydas

Torture the artist is a book about a silent cultural revolution. New Renaissance is a new cultural firm, aiming to bring about a cultural upheaval in the U.S. To accomplish its goals, New Renaissance employs peculiar methods in training the artists of the 21st century: the managers of the firm ensure that they remain “true artists” by imposing sentimental torture upon them.Vincent Spinetti is the archetypal tortured artist. Being the most promising prodigy of the firm, he is manipulated by his manager, Harlan Eiffler. Through Harlan’s work, Vincent becomes alienated, neglected from his family, poor, alcoholic, constantly ill, etch. Moreover: a successful artist, thanks to New Renaissance. Until Vincent discovers Harlan’s plot, and sets the question: is misery the prerequisite for a great artist?

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Joey Goebel was born in 1980 and grew up in Henderson, Kentucky. He has a B.A. in English from Brescia University. He is the author of the Anomalies (2003), Torture the Artist (2005) and Commonwealth (2008). Torture the artist is under film production from the firm “Lucky Rabbit”, to be released in theatres in early 2011. Visit  www.torturetheartist.com.