Pornography: “I know it when I see it.” This phrase was famously used in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when he ruled that the French film, The Lovers, was not obscene and therefore not subject to banning from theaters. He saw the film and did not... read more
Among the trailers shown before Fifty Shades of Grey this past weekend was the upcoming Disney remake of Cinderella. And, by the way, Fifty Shades itself is a kind of retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The question is: How many times can Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast be remade?... read more
The things that cause an individual or a society discomfort and anxiety often provoke ridicule, scorn, and/or disregard. Romance novels provoke all three responses. They touch sensitive nerves. Note: I have addressed the ridicule in On the Term ‘Bodice Ripper,’ the scorn in Five Myths About Romance Novels, and the disregard... read more
I’ve just finished Creation of the Sacred. Tracks of Biology in Early Religions by Walter Burkert, Professor of Classics at the University of Zurich, who writes: ”We must acknowledge the highly ambivalent status of sex in all human societies, with all sorts of disclaimers, secrecy, and repression, and the concomitant possibility of... read more
Ekphrasis is a venerable rhetorical device in which one work of art refers to another considered worthy of time and attention. The classic example is the description in the Iliad of the magnificent shield Achilles uses in his fight with Hector. Although the term ekphrasis is usually applied to cases where... read more
An example of good genre etiquette: Jane Austen sets the good genre etiquette tone: “If the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard?” Northanger Abbey The broader context of Austen’s authorial intrusion is the following: “I will... read more
Spoiler alert: Do not read this blog if you’re planning to see the movie Gone Girl. It is based on the book with the same name by Gillian Flynn. A few days ago I chose a romance featuring a jaded ex-lawyer. He has seen too many of his fellow lawyers’... read more
P.D. James died over the Thanksgiving weekend. She was a master of the detective novel. The lengthy obituary in the New York Times for this celebrated crime novelist includes a number of quotes from her, among others: “I came to believe that it is perfectly possible to remain within the constraints... read more
Yay to The Mindy Project for introducing the character of Abby Berman. She appeared for the first time in the episode entitled Caramel Princess Time. Abby is smart, likeable, and a historical romance writer who describes the genre as “pornography you’re allowed to read on the subway.” Since it’s The... read more
There is one sort of beauty trap with which all women are familiar. Another one is literary. The first beauty trap involves the perception of a woman’s beauty, from childhood through old age, both as she regards herself and as she is regarded by others. A woman’s perception of her... read more
