March 18, 2026
LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS ESSAY
Thirty years after Arlene Croce refused to review Bill T. Jones, we’re still wrestling with how identity can shield art from critique. MY NEW ESSAY in the Los Angeles Review of Books traces the line from Croce to Dean Kissick — and back to my own early‑’80s genderf*ck performances — to ask what’s happened to criticism since.
Written by Bradley Wester at 5:33 pm under Writing