The Punk Life of Folklorist Kay Turner
Hyperallergic, June 26, 2024
I was lucky enough to interview folklorist and feminist punk rocker Kay Turner for Hyperallergic’s 2024 Pride Month series featuring queer elders. Turner formed her first band in 1972, and in the intervening 50 years, she’s written books, worked as a professor, served as folklorist for the borough of Brooklyn, and presided over the American Folklore Society. She’s also written songs including “More Madonna, Less Jesus” (her favorite), recruited her fellow scholars into punk bands, and started a “croning ceremony” for folklorists turning 50. Turner and I talked about her gripes with the term “queer elder” (she said she prefers “magnificent hag”), her dreams about Madonna (the singer), her study of Mexican home altars to Madonna (the Virgin), recording her most recent album, and much more.
Elaine Velie 