She Was a Critic

Abstract

Jill Johnston was the rare critic committed to leveling hierarchies, which included imagining criticism and art making as one and the same. This chapter explores Johnston’s approach to criticism, particularly her critique of the field in the mid-twentieth century in the United States. It then examines her dance criticism: both her writing about the Judson Dance Theater in New York City and her contributions, from 1955 to 1965, to the Dance Observer, ARTnews, and the Village Voice. The chapter also includes a comparison among theories about erotics and writing, through a discussion of Johnston, Susan Sontag, and Audre Lorde.