Karen Finley

A successful performance artist known as one of the infamous "NEA Four" - along with John Fleck, Tim Miller, and Holly Hughes - whose lawsuit against the National Endowment of the Arts achieved notoriety in the early 90's.

[on the stress of performing:] "I could get attention a lot of other ways. Easier ways. It's so painful. I don't want to perform. Every time, I say, 'Why am I doing this, why didn't I become a veterinarian, why didn't I go the easy way out?' . . . I feel that I have to do it because I don't see many other people who are capable of doing it. I feel that it's my responsibility."