Originally released on Halloween in 1982, Adulterers Anonymous is a collection of writing started by Lydia Lunch while in the band 13.13 and eventually led to a collaboration with Exene Cervenka, frontwoman for the Los Angeles band X. Lunch began writing the book in New York in September 1981, continuing with Cervenka in Los Angeles in October 1981 and ending in room 9 of the Venus Hotel (somewhere in The Netherlands) in December 1981 at the end of her tour with 13.13. To mark the release, on October 31, 1982, Lunch staged a concert at the Peppermint Lounge in New York, which also included performances from Thurston Moore, Pat Place, Kristian Hofmann, Richard Edson and Jim Sclavunos.