{"id":81895,"date":"2026-08-14T15:06:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T15:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/?post_type=product&p=81895"},"modified":"2026-08-14T15:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T15:06:09","slug":"in-search-of-the-monkey-girl","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/catalog\/in-search-of-the-monkey-girl\/","title":{"rendered":"In Search of the Monkey Girl"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Text by Spalding Gray; photos by Randal Levenson<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Step right up and peer behind the canvas of a fading American subculture.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Originally published by the legendary Aperture Foundation, In Search of the Monkey Girl <\/em>is a striking, deeply moving collaboration that documents the final golden era of the traveling side-show. For a decade throughout the 1970s, photographer Randal Levenson<\/strong> embedded himself within North American carnivals to capture the human stories behind the spectacle. Alongside his iconic imagery, master monologist and actor Spalding Gray<\/strong> provides an appreciative, brilliantly bewildered narrative that transports readers straight to the midways of the 1981 Tennessee State Fair.<\/p>\n

This rare, highly collectible trade paperback edition bridges the gap between raw street photography and profound performance art, offering an intimate, dignified look at a community living proudly at the margins of society.<\/p>\n

“(R)ead it and you will find that the pictures surround a subversive core of words which constantly threaten to upend photographic realism with theatrical reality.” \u2014James Leverett, American Theatre<\/em><\/p>\n

Key Features<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Compassionate Portraits:<\/strong> Features stunning black-and-white photography of side-show legends, including Artoria Gibbons (the Tattooed Lady), the Man with Two Faces, and the World\u2019s Smallest Mother.<\/li>\n
  • Acclaimed Text:<\/strong> Includes a classic, comic, and deeply human text essay by celebrated performance artist Spalding Gray.<\/li>\n
  • Dignified Lens:<\/strong> Eschews cheap exploitation in favor of affectionate, penetrating portraits that look past the “freak show” label to reveal genuine humanity.<\/li>\n
  • The Midway Experience:<\/strong> Includes atmospheric shots of the exhibit halls, vintage painted banners, and flashing thrill rides.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Product Specifications<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Format:<\/strong> Trade Paperback<\/li>\n
    • Publisher:<\/strong> Aperture (A New Images Book Series)<\/li>\n
    • Publication Date:<\/strong> 1987<\/li>\n
    • ISBN-10:<\/strong> 0893810967<\/li>\n
    • ISBN-13:<\/strong> 978-0893810962<\/li>\n
    • Language:<\/strong> English<\/li>\n
    • Pages:<\/strong> 112 pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Perfect for:<\/strong> Collectors of rare photography monographs, students of American cultural history, carny subculture enthusiasts, and fans of Spalding Gray’s storytelling.<\/p>\n

      Near fine condition. [5.3]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Text by Spalding Gray; photos by Randal Levenson Step right up and peer behind the canvas of a fading American subculture. Originally published by the legendary Aperture Foundation, In Search of the Monkey Girl is a striking, deeply moving collaboration that documents the final golden era of the traveling side-show. For a decade throughout the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":81897,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[7,96,81],"product_tag":[608,1464,1463,585,1466,1467,1465],"class_list":["post-81895","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-arts-culture","product_cat-contemporary-photography","product_cat-photography","product_tag-body-art","product_tag-carnies","product_tag-circus","product_tag-freaks","product_tag-spalding-gray","product_tag-tattoo","product_tag-theater","first","instock","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/81895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=81895"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=81895"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebookbeat.com\/bookshop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=81895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}