Carmen Maria Machado in Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror

FILTHINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS: The Final Interview of Viola Vile by Yah Yah Scholfield / 3,325 words / audition (1999) / Angels in America, Tony Kusher / Aeschylus, The Oresteia, trans. Anne Carson / Ganja & Hess, dir Bill Gunn / Bones and All (2022)

After literally forever, I’m ready to show my child, my baby, my favorite-est piece so far…Viola Vile. I’ve been talking about it forever, posting a bunch of bits here and there, and now, she’s finally good enough for me to feel comfortable showing her off.

How to explain Viola Vile? She is disgusting, she is remarkably crude and violent and, yes, as her name suggests vile. She is me digging into my psyche and talking about what sickens and fascinates me. She is me listening to my own words and saying “filthiness is next to godliness”. This is honestly the first time I feel like a real horror author, which is silly, but here I am! Baring my soul, flexing my gory, gross muscle.

Filthiness is Next to Godliness: The Final Interview of Viola Vile is the final interview of an infamous shock artist/performance artist/adult film star. It is, as the title suggests, the last interview of her life, which she is sharing with a reporter from her past.

Inspirations include: Tender is the Flesh, every r/gore page that traumatized me as a young child, performance artists such as Zhang Huan and Marina Ambrovich (and many others), @brownpaperhag‘s amazing piece ‘KIND’, as well as Countless Other Things. Ask me about it. I’m dying to talk about this piece.

CONTENT WARNINGS, PLEASE BE WARY: self harm (Viola mentions in passing), bestiality but not in a horny way, gore and violence

If you decide to read this piece, wow! Thank you! You can show your support by reblogging, sending me an ask/commenting, or sending some cash!

FILTHINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS: THE FINAL INTERVIEW OF VIOLA VILE / MY KO-FI

I saw something
Sitting on your bed
I saw something
Touching your head
In the room
Where you sleep