Overview
"To Smithereens is an extraordinarily good book, but then so is everything Rosalyn Drexler ever wrote." —The New York Times
A provocative, cheeky romp through the Manhattan art scene and the female wrestling world of the 1970s, from an overlooked star of the Pop Art movement
When Rosa, a curious, brash twenty-something flitting aimlessly through the Manhattan avant garde art scene, meets Paul, an art critic who is obsessed with being dominated by physically powerful women, an electric and off-kilter love story commences. On Paul’s encouragement, Rosa becomes a professional wrestler and joins the women’s wrestling circuit on a tour of the American South. Through wrestling, Rosa learns to articulate what kind of life she wants, and to wriggle free of Paul’s attempts to possess her.
To Smithereens is a lighthearted reconfiguration of the 1970s American road novel and a delightful satire of the avant garde art world of the same period, in which Rosalyn Drexler was a major figure. Inspired both by Drexler's experiences as one of few women in the Pop Art movement and her own career in the ring (immortalized in Andy Warhol's "Album of a Mat Queen"), and first published in 1972, To Smithereens is an antic, biting portrait of its time from a voice that speaks directly to ours.
This book title, To Smithereens, ISBN: 9781965028025, by Rosalyn Drexler, published by Hagfish (May 6, 2025) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
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