Capital Is Dead. Is This Something Worse? by McKenzie Wark

So much of the world she writes about feels precarious, especially at a time when the lives of trans people are increasingly under public scrutiny. This is partly practical, Wark says, as her scene doesn’t need any tourists. The characters Wark identifies as friends are sort of inspired by real people, and parties and clubs likewise go unnamed. Wark’s second most recent novel, Reverse Cowgirl, began her assumption of a new literary identity.

Prior to transitioning in her ’50s, she was a part of what she called the “white-boy theory universe,” having written seminal works A Hacker Manifesto and Capital Is Dead: Is This Something Worse? She doesn’t have any regrets about exiting this sphere. And over the course of our conversation, she hints at another forthcoming book. Along with this most recent project, she’s been organizing the Writing on Raving discussion series around New York, as well as publishing a bi-weekly column with Document, Daytripping.

Last week, her newest book Raving was released by Duke University Press as part of its Practices series, in which various authors examine a hobby or interest. “For trans people, kind of a trap, because it’s hard to get to audiences beyond that.” However niche Wark’s following is, it’s steadily growing. “It’s what Torrey Peters once called Bushwick Famous,” McKenzie Wark explains when I ask her how she feels about her relative celebrity in Brooklyn’s trans and queer scenes. The writer meets with Document to discuss her latest book, the low genre of autofiction, and the makings of a good party

Capital Is Dead. Is This Something Worse? by McKenzie Wark