After years of reading about 19th-century erotic publishers, I had to watch Netflix’s documentary, Circus of Books (2019), on the gay adult bookshop of the same name in California. The documentary focused on the couple, Karen and Barry Mason, who took over the bookshop in 1976 and became the largest … [Read more...] about The Cyclical History of Erotic Publications: From George Akarman to the Circus of Books (1850 to 2019)
Blog
Behind the History
People have their own perceptions of how individuals in different career fields actually do their jobs. There used to be a great meme that was divided up in different sections explaining what different people think individuals in particular careers do. The sections were “What my mom thinks I do. … [Read more...] about Behind the History
The Origin Story: The Book that Started it All, The Murder of Helen Jewett: The Life and Death of a Prostitute in Nineteenth-Century New York by Patricia Cline Cohen
When I was writing up the citations for the previous blog, one of the sources was a secondary source that I have been using for years. The book hits a sentimental nerve that I felt urged to write about. Whenever I give talks or discuss my research, I am always questioned with how I became … [Read more...] about The Origin Story: The Book that Started it All, The Murder of Helen Jewett: The Life and Death of a Prostitute in Nineteenth-Century New York by Patricia Cline Cohen
The Upside-Down World of Prostitution: Evaluating the Gender Roles in Irma La Douce
“Love is illegal - but not hate. That you can do anywhere, anytime, to anybody. But if you want a little warmth, a little tenderness, a shoulder to cry on, a smile to cuddle up with, you have to hide in dark corners, like a criminal.” – Moustache Back in December, my partner suggested that we … [Read more...] about The Upside-Down World of Prostitution: Evaluating the Gender Roles in Irma La Douce
