Scribner, 2014

The year is 1975 and Reno, so-called because of the place of her birth, comes to New York intent on turning her fascination with motorcycles and speed into art. Her arrival coincides with an explosion of activity—artists colonize a deserted and industrial SoHo, stage actions in the East Village, blur the line between life and art. Reno is submitted to a sentimental education of sorts—by dreamers, poseurs, and raconteurs in New York and by radicals in Italy, where she goes with her lover to meet his estranged and formidable family. Ardent, vulnerable, and bold, Reno is a fiercely memorable observer, superbly realized by Rachel Kushner. The Flamethrowers is an intensely engaging exploration of the mystique of the feminine, the fake, the terrorist.

*** Donated by August Raven - Please note that most books donated by the artist August Raven were signed by him in black ink on side of the book. The artist created a sculptural donation by signing book sides with india ink, his primary medium. ***