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Profiles
Amy Gerstler
Amy Gerstler is a writer of fiction, poetry and journalism, living in Los Angeles. In 1993, Viking Penguin published a book of her poetry, titled "Nerve Storm". Her eighth book, "Bitter Angel", was published by North Point Press (1990) and was awarded a National Book Critics Circle Award in poetry in 1991. Her previous seven books include The True Bride (Lapis Press, 1986) and Primitive Man (Hanuman Books, 1987).
In 1987 she was awarded second place in "Mademoiselle" magazine's fiction contest. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, including "Paris Review" and "Best American Poetry". She contributes art reviews to "Artforum" and other art magazines, writes book reviews for periodicals including the "Los Angeles Times", and does a variety of other kinds of journalism.
Text-works of hers have been performed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and elsewhere. In the fall of 1989, she collaborated on an installation at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, and a related artists' book, with visual artist Alexis Smith, both of which are titled "Past Lives." The installation traveled to Josh Baer Gallery In New York City in December 1990. She has collaborated with her sister, choreographer Tina Gerstler, and visual artist Megan Williams. Her writing has appeared in catalogs for exhibitions at the Long Beach Museum of Art, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE), The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Fort Wayne Museum of Art (Fort Wayne, Indiana), The Santa Monica Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA), Security Pacific Inc., and elsewhere. She has taught English and/or Creative Writing and/or art criticism at Art Center College of Design, the University of Southern California and UCLA extension. She will teach at University of California at Irvine's graduate writing program in the spring of 1996. In 1997 Viking Penguin will publish a book of her poems titled "Crown of Weeds".