{"product_id":"days-in-the-clouds-isbn-9781635902907","title":"Days in the Clouds","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe never-before-published last essays of the late Duncan Smith, at once heartbreakingly personal and bracingly intellectual.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFollowing the appearance of his theoretical tour-de-force \u003ci\u003eThe Age of Oil\u003c\/i\u003eand his AIDS diagnosis, Duncan Smith (1954–1991) produced \u003ci\u003eDays in the Clouds\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of thirty-eight essays sparkling with his characteristic linguistic brilliance. Now published for the first time, \u003ci\u003eDays in the Clouds\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles Smith’s response to the disease that would kill him as well as its severe impact on downtown NYC culture. At once heartbreakingly personal and bracingly intellectual, these essays examine in exacting detail a range of subjects, from the semiotics of gay life and the visionary potential of nature to the shortcomings of Susan Sontag’s writings on illness, the literary criticism of Paul de Man, and, as always with Smith, the meanings hidden within proper names. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlongside \u003ci\u003eDays in the Clouds\u003c\/i\u003e, Semiotext(e) is bringing out the much-awaited republication of \u003ci\u003eAge of Oil\u003c\/i\u003e, Smith’s brilliant and long out-of-print collection of essays from 1987.Duncan Smith (1953–1991) is known for his innovative writings that reflect his extensive research in psychoanalysis, semiotics, Marxist ideology, and literature. In 1976, Smith left undergraduate studies at the University of Washington to move to New York City, where he became a beloved friend for many in downtown avant-garde circles. In 1987, Slate Press published Smith’s first collection of cultural criticism, \u003ci\u003eThe Age of Oil\u003c\/i\u003e. That same year, in the midst of earning his PhD at Cornell University, Smith learned of his HIV-positive status and embarked on a series of essays centered on his experiences with AIDS. These would become \u003ci\u003eDays in the Clouds\u003c\/i\u003e, completed in Portland, OR, some months before his death in February 1991.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBruce Hainley is the author, among other books, of \u003ci\u003eUnder the Sign of [sic]: Sturtevant’s Volte-Face\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFoul Mouth\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eReally, No Biggie\u003c\/i\u003e, and cowrote with John Waters \u003ci\u003eArt—A Sex Book\u003c\/i\u003e. He assembled and edited Gary Indiana’s \u003ci\u003eVile Days: The Village Voice Art Columns 1985–1988 \u003c\/i\u003eas well as \u003ci\u003eCommie Pinko Guy\u003c\/i\u003e, a publication that accompanied the first European survey of the work of Larry Johnson. He has curated numerous exhibits at both national and international art institutions, most recently, with Shahryar Nashat, a project for the Renaissance Society, Chicago.","brand":"Semiotext(e)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48532136657125,"sku":"NP9781635902907","price":17.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/days-in-the-clouds-isbn-9781635902907","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}