This study boldly argues for Acker's revolutionary significance. It situates her within a historical avant-garde and examines how she took moments and movements from modern history, including the Paris Commune, Russian Nihilists and the global revolts of the 1960s.

Exploring revolutionary politics in the work of one of America's most important avant-garde writers This study brings the radicalism of Acker's politics back to life. Moving beyond conventional accounts of her postmodernism, it explores her work as a continuation of the historical avant-garde and examines how she took moments and movements from modern history, including Russian nihilism, Spanish anarchism and the global revolts of the 1960s, to create her own political agenda. In doing so, it presents Acker in a new light: a revolutionary voice in an age when such voices are sorely needed. Emilia Borowska lectures in American Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London.