Romance, history, crime, erotica - does fiction matter in an age of factual information?

Do Novels Still Matter?
--- by Martha Nichols, freelance journalist at Boston USA, in Salon.com
      As far back as I can remember, I’ve wanted to read people’s minds. I was obsessed by everything I knew adults hid: unspoken nastiness; unshed tears; passion—so much passion and swallowed rage.
      Which means that even at the age of ten, I was destined to love novels above all other forms of writing.
      I still do. After a hiatus from novel-reading this past spring, I’ve re-discovered the joys of sinking into a long work of fiction. Moreover, Jonathan Franzen’s "Rereading The Man Who Loved Children" makes me want to defend the novel, any novel, partly because Franzen gets at least one thing wrong.
      His piece about Christina Stead's 1940 novel, which recently appeared in the New York Times Book Review, is wonderful. I feel encouraged to give Stead another try. But what strikes me most are his opening questions:
      “[H]aven’t we all secretly sort of come to an agreement, in the last year or two or three, that novels belonged to the age of newspapers and are going the way of newspapers, only faster? As an old English professor friend of mine likes to say, novels are a curious moral case, in that we feel guilty about not reading more of them but also guilty about doing something as frivolous as reading them….”
      With all due respect to Franzen and his professor friend, no.
      I haven’t secretly kissed off novels. I disagree that they represent a moral dilemma, except maybe for academics who think they should be reading “serious” nonfiction. And to equate novels with newspapers (or the dying print distribution system of news) is silly. What’s endangered is the journalistic long feature, and, yes, novels are long form. But there the comparison ends. ....
....  I make no sweeping claims for novels like this except that they’ve immersed me when I needed to be immersed. I’m reminded of the standouts from my youth: Childhood’s End, The Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice—and every trashy gothic romance that took me to other worlds and time periods and revealed, even in the most rote way, the secret emotional nooks of others.
      It’s in sharing the secrets nobody wants to admit—the shame, the guilt, the missed opportunities—that we learn empathy and, I hope, the ability to embrace complexity in a messy world.
      Yes. Oh, yes. Yes. Novels do matter.
---- see more of Martha Nichols' 5-page article & blog links at Salon.com at :-
http://open.salon.com/blog/martha_nichols/2010/06/12/do_novels_still_matter

Willkommen, Bienvenue, und Welcome ...

Berlin Revisited: Christopher Isherwood's city today
--- glimpses from Aaron Hicklin's article in OUT Magazine for August 2010, plus a new book Christopher Isherwood Changes Trains from Victor Marsh ...
      "It has been 75 years since Christopher Isherwood published The Last of Mr. Norris, the first of his two revelatory Berlin novels and the basis for Bob Fosse’s Oscar-winning movie Cabaret .... Despite war, division, and reunification, Isherwood’s Berlin, a city of intrigue and sex, of oddball émigrés, dreamers, and Sally Bowles, retains a potent hold on the public imagination. Isherwood himself went there for boys, and found them.
      At Magnus Hirschfeld’s pioneering Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute for Sexual Science) he also came "face to face with his tribe," as he put it in Christopher and His Kind, setting him on a philosophical journey that would result in such groundbreaking work as A Single Man."
      An Anglo-American writer, Isherwood was born in Disley, Cheshire, England, and educated at the University of Cambridge. His experience as a tutor in Berlin from 1928 to 1933 provided the background for two volumes of short stories, The Last of Mr. Norris (1935) and Goodbye to Berlin (1939). The two collections describe the seedy lives of a group of Berliners and expatriates who fail to foresee the dramatic impact the Nazis eventually have on German society. The books were reissued together in 1946 as The Berlin Stories and were later adapted as a play, I Am a Camera (1951; film, 1955) and as a musical, Cabaret (1966; film, 1972).
      In 1929 Isherwood traveled to Berlin with the poet W. H. Auden, whom he had met during his studies at Cambridge University. It was a transformative trip for the young writer. His fiction about Berlin in the 1930s in turn came to shape later generations’ understanding of that city and of a period in which vibrant free expression of every sort met the increasingly harsh hand of rising Nazi power.
      Liza Minnelli won an Academy Award for her role in Cabaret. Christopher Isherwood is a character in Cabaret played by British actor Michael York.
      In 1939 Isherwood emigrated to the USA. In 1953 18-year-old Don Bachardy was introduced to 49-year-old Christopher Isherwood at Malibu. Neither man knew it would be the start of a love story that would last for 30 years. Despite their age difference, Chris and Don weathered the various storms resulting from their different ages, classes, and backgrounds, and remained together until Chris’ death in 1986.
--- see Aaron Hicklin, editor of OUT Magazine's, survey of Berlin's appeal as a gay tourist destination at :-
http://www.outtraveler.com/exclusives_detail.asp?did=1786&pid=532
--- see also Dr Victor Marsh's recent book Mr Isherwood Changes Trains on aspects of Isherwood's spiritual life, available at Amazon at :-
http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Isherwood-Changes-Trains-Christopher/dp/098071205X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280535125&sr=1-1
--- plus see the stylish movie of Isherwood's novel A Single Man with Colin Firth & Nicholas Hoult, directed by Tom Ford.

AGORA - A movie about history's first feminist ...

Hypatia: An Inspiration for the Ages  ---- excerpt from an article by Dr. Alex Pattakos in The Huffington Post, Aug 24 2010
      "Because I have been intrigued by the life and work of the Greek philosopher and scientist, Hypatia (Υπατία) of Alexandria for some time, I was looking forward with great interest to seeing the movie, Agora. I did see the movie and, for the most part, was not disappointed. A historical drama set in Hellenstic Egypt near the end of the Roman Empire, the movie among other things tracks the adult life of one of the few notable Greek female scholars of Classical antiquity. Not to say that such women did not exist; only that they were not permitted to demonstrate such intellectual capacity in public view. Hypatia was one of the exceptions and, in the end, was brutally murdered because of her boundless curiosity, her unique perspective on the meaning of life and the workings of the cosmos, and her unbridled influence on those around her. Such attributes made her a clear and present danger to the existing power structures (both religious and secular), which were grounded in fear and intolerance, and sadly Hypatia had to pay the ultimate price for speaking her own truth.
      In many ways it seems like not much has changed since 415 AD! Fear and intolerance continue to dominate the public stage, to say nothing about what goes on in the private sector."
--- see more of Pattakos' 2-page article about Hypatia in The Huffington Post at :-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-pattakos/philosopher-hypatia-an-in_b_693213.html
AGORA the movie has been on release throughout the USA & elsewhere since late May 2010.

M/M Romance strikes a chord ...

Why Are Straight Women So Obsessed With Gay Sex?
--- excerpts from a retweetBy Brian Moylan on August 19, 2010
"....  In an article published on Out Magazine’s website today [see link below], Cintra Wilson introduces us to Alex Beecroft and “Erastes”, two married female authors who write dirty stories starring men sticking it to other men. But they aren’t doing it for the boys who like boys. These homo bodice rippers are meant for the types of suburban ladies who pick up those paperbacks with Fabio on the cover. The trend has become so popular that most of the major romance novel publishers have caught on and started lines of M/M romances for the demanding public.
      The phenomenon emerged from “slash fiction”, a type of fan fiction that images two popular male fantasy or sci-fi characters in a romantic relationship. Think Spock and Kirk exploring each others’ bodies rather than some planet in outer space. But just what is it about reading about two guys getting it on that has women so worked up? Wilson explains it as such:
      'Since women are not equal to men in society, a straight romance narrative—the usual machinations that bring a brutish alpha male and a wasp-waisted young female beauty to the point of bodice-ripping penetration—can’t deliver the same heady emotional frisson as a “bromance,” which slashers and M/M authors alike view as a courtship between equals, which culminates in the emotional jackpot of a true love based on loyalty, trust, caring, and mutual respect.
      That seems to be the opposite impulse of what turns straight guys on about girl-on-girl porn scenes. First of all, those scenarios are completely devoid of another man’s erect penis (something society teaches straight men they should be simultaneously ashamed of, disgusted by, and avoid at all cost). Secondly, the women are the kind that men can’t have, since ostensibly lesbians aren’t at all interested in men. Not only does it make them exotic, but plays into men’s fantasies that the lesbians would still want to have sex with them. It’s as if the viewer is the only one man enough for these two women, and they are just two more objects to be conquered with his ever-winning maleness.'
      From what we learn from these two authors, it’s not that women want to imagine overtaking these gay hunks, it’s that they secretly want to be gay men. Author Beecroft says, 'In my sexual imagination, I’m a gay man. I write to satisfy a sexual desire that I can’t physically satisfy in this body.' ....  But, by aligning herself with a gay male identity, the straight female reader can envision herself as powerful, sexually potent, voracious and the active participant (or top) – all things that are associated with macho sexuality. And all of this while still in the company of another man.
      Gay male sex (especially of the anal variety) is one of the few transgressive acts still left in our porn-riddled culture, mostly because it gives most straight guys the heebie-jeebies. By figuratively putting themselves in a gay role, women are not only expressing their sexual power, but doing so in a forbidden way. Even more forbidden is making another man a bottom – which is what author Erastes says she imagines herself doing. ....
....  These horny lady writers insinuate that some gay men feel like they’re being “oppressed” by females imagining their sexual exploits for their own jollies. If any gay men think that, well, then they’re just silly. Straight guys love lesbians, straight ladies love gays, bunches of gay men watch straight porn and plenty of lesbians (as we learned in The Kids Are Alright) love gay male porn. Human sexuality is a strange, complex, and wonderful thing and the harmless escapades that happen in people’s fantasies shouldn’t be used for debates about identity politics. As long as everyone is getting off, what’s the big deal?"
--- see more of Brian Moylan's controversial article at Defamer.com.au :-  
http://www.defamer.com.au/2010/08/why-are-straight-women-so-obsessed-with-gay-sex/#more-378434
--- and OUT Magazine's item by Cintra Wilson at :- http://out.com/detail.asp?page=2&id=27242

How to make a $100 million ...

Patterson and Meyer top richest authors, raking in $110M last year
---- a news report from Reuters & The Toronto Star, 20 August 2010
      NEW YORK—The publishing industry may be experiencing lean times, but a new survey shows fat incomes for many of the world's top authors in the past year. Bestselling thriller fiction author James Patterson topped the list of high-paid writers released Friday by Forbes.com, earning $70 million, which includes his latest deal to pen 17 books by the end of 2012 for an estimated $100 million.
      The Forbes rankings were based on earnings from books, film rights, television, gaming deals and other income from June 1, 2009, through June 1, 2010. The 63-year-old Patterson has written more than 50 bestsellers and sold more than 170 million books worldwide, creating a franchise that has expanded into Hollywood, television, comic book and gaming deals.
      Vampire romance author Stephenie Meyer, whose Twilight series has been adapted into a top-grossing film series, earned $40 million despite not releasing a new book in the time frame of the Forbes.com survey. Her new 192-page novella, her first title in two years, was released in June.
      Stephen King, the horror and suspense perennial bestseller, placed third with $34 million, including $8 million from backlist sales, according to the Forbes survey. His last novel, Under the Dome, was released in November, selling 600,000 copies, according to Nielsen BookScan.
      Coming in fourth place was romance writer Danielle Steel, who earned $32 million, followed by British writer Ken Follett, whose 1989 acclaimed novel The Pillars of the Earth has been adapted into a TV miniseries. He raked in $20 million.
      U.S. author Dean Koontz was No. 6, taking in $18 million with The Husband, which was optioned for film, while romance adventure author Janet Evanovich, famed for the Stephanie Plum romantic adventure book series, made $16 million.
      Legal thriller writer John Grisham, romance writer Nicholas Sparks and British author J.K. Rowling, who made $10 million – a smaller sum for the billionaire after she did not release a new book in the past year – rounded out the top 10.
---- see the report & its comments in The Toronto Star of 20 August at :-
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/article/850602--patterson-and-meyer-top-richest-authors-raking-in-110m-last-year

Gay 1930's Hollywood ...

William Haines & Hollywood bohemian fashion & queer iconography
---- excerpts from an article in Examiner.com by Joel Nikolaou, European fashion commentator, May 2010
.... "William Haines ran away from home at the age of 14 with another unidentified young man whom Haines referred to as his "boyfriend". .... His parents, frantic over his disappearance, tracked him through the police to Hopewell, Virginia. Haines did not return home with them, remaining instead in Hopewell and sending money back home to help support the family. The couple remained in Hopewell until most of the town was destroyed by fire in 1915. Haines moved to New York City. ....
....  In 1933, Haines was arrested in a YMCA with a sailor he had picked up in Los Angeles' Pershing Square. Louis B. Mayer, the studio head at MGM, delivered an ultimatum to Haines: choose between a sham marriage or "lavender marriage," or his relationship with Shields. Haines chose Shields & they remained together for almost 50 years. Joan Crawford at the time stood up for William Haines. Joan Crawford, and William Haines were the number#1, and number#2 biggest box office stars of Hollywood at the time. ....
.... Haines refused to renounce his relationship with his longtime partner Jimmy Shields so Mayer terminated his contract. William Haines then went on to become one of the most celebrated designers in Hollywood. ....
.... Hollywood before The Hayes Code was actually more enlightened and progressive than it is today. In 1934 the Hayes code was enacted, and censorship, bigotry, and sexism were enforced. Certified boards would review all films for objectionable material. Movies made in the early '30s had strong independent women who had opinions, & who were not second class citizens. Also, openly gay acting men were depicted on the screen and would not reappear in over 60 years. ....
.... With the development of the new Hollywood nightlife in the early 1930s, the first significant appearance of Hollywood bohemians in Hollywood nightlife involved women wearing men’s clothing to Hollywood restaurants. Women have worn suits, hats & other clothing associated with men in a variety of world cultures, often in order to spend their lives disguised as men. However, in Hollywood, the women did not deny their biological sex. The women wore the men’s clothes as a feminist statement, as an indication of gender inversion, or both. .... "
---- see more of Joel Nikolaou's insights into 1930's gay Hollywood at :- 
http://www.examiner.com/european-fashion-in-national/william-haines-hollywood-bohemian-fashion-queer-iconography

The new Queer Lit - "m/m", where neither gay nor straight tops ...

Can M/M Romance Challenge the Definition of LGBT Lit?
--- excerpts from Queer theorist Lizzy Shramko's provocative post at Lambda Literary, August 18, 2010
..... "In a world where Lisbeth Salander is tearing up the bestseller list with her clunky motorcycle boots and her refusal to fit neatly into the category of gay or straight, it seems the revival of queer sensibilities has come upon us. This is something that the expanding genre of Male/Male fiction tackles head on.
     Although these novels are described as gay historical fiction they are (as the press release details) “written primarily – but not exclusively – for women”. This complicates how M/M fits into the genre of LGBT fiction. How does a genre of fiction that is exclusively centered around homosexual love, and largely written by and for explicitly straight writers and readers challenge the typical notion of what LGBT fiction is? Perhaps more significantly, how does it problematize the mutual exclusivity of homosexuality and heterosexuality? ....
.... Despite the traditional approach to romance, love, and sex, each of these novels manages to complicate notions of sexuality. Isn’t there something queer about two men choosing to live seemingly heteronormative lives? Isn’t there something queer about redefining the bodily boundaries of virginity? And even more than this, isn’t there something queer about the fact that supposedly straight men and women want to read & write fiction where this choice is possible? ...."
--- see more of Lizzy's insightful 2-page article, & its interesting comments at:-
http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/oped/08/18/mm-romance-queer/comment-page-1/

Entering the world of slash fiction, gay & straight ...

Has Slash Made the World Better for Gay Men?
---  a fascinating, well-considered post at After Elton by Brent Hartinger, August 11, 2010
(After Elton's Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series on slash fandoms.)
      "The Stonewall Inn Riots began on June 28, 1969 – an act of civil disobedience by some of our community’s more marginalized members that is widely believed to have sparked the modern GLBT rights movement. But what if a similarly important moment in gay equality actually came a year earlier, in 1968, when a UK woman, Jennifer Guttridge, wrote what is considered by many to be the world’s first piece of slash fiction, “Ring of Shoshern,” about a relationship between Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock?
      No, wait! Hear me out.
“Slashfic” are any fan-created stories, art, video, and even role-play based on fictional characters (and sometimes real people). Slashfic gets its name from “Kirk-slash-Spock,” the genre’s first and still most famous pairing – and most of it involves same-sex relationships. Back in the 1960s, the birth of slashfic coincided with the rise of Star Trek’s massive “Trekkie” movement – the first of the modern fandoms. But for many years after, fandoms were dominated by straight men. It wasn’t until the early 1990s – and the rise of the internet – that women were able assert their influence into the various fandoms. But when they did, their interest often had a surprisingly homoerotic flavor.
      Within a decade, what had started out as slashfic soon segued in a greater “slash” movement that openly celebrated male-male love in popular culture, in websites, blogs, and message boards. The movement has expanded exponentially ever since, quickly encompassing new technologies. Slash may not have directly built YouTube and its fourteen billion uploaded videos, but it surely didn’t hurt ....
--- see three more pages of Brent Hartinger's interesting post & its many informed reader comments at After Elton :-
http://www.afterelton.com/print/2010/08/slash-fandoms-part-one?page=2%2C3

Biography of a gay sexual renegade ...

Blowing kisses
---  Justin Spring's biog of a gay original .. courtesy of Books in The Economist (UK) August 13, 2010

      By the time the rioting drag queens at New York’s Stonewall Inn ushered in what many fondly consider the dawn of gay liberation in 1969, Samuel Steward was 60 years old. Any other gay man of his time, raised by three spinster aunts in small-town Ohio, might well have stayed in self-loathing denial for ever. Steward, however, in those innocent days when the very concept of a homosexual was but dimly known, found little trouble in getting the other boys to accept him as, in his words, “a dandy substitute for their girls”. When he left the town at 17 he had already committed enough sexual crimes to earn him, in his own laconic reckoning, “total incarceration in Ohio: between five and six thousand years.”
      Steward became a promising young literature professor and writer, and was close friends with such luminaries as Thornton Wilder and Gertrude Stein. But he suffered from fragile self-esteem, alcohol and drug problems, and an addiction to ever more extreme forms of sex with rough young men, as well as an obsession with tattooing (itself a means of access to such men) all of which ultimately derailed him from his literary career.
      Yet the wealth of papers and erotic memorabilia he left behind, on which Justin Spring stumbled by chance and which occupied him for nearly a decade, also testify to a life of great gusto, numerous talents and an extraordinary willingness to explore the furthest reaches of the self.
      Steward kept a journal of his sex life, the “Stud File”, which by the end ran to more than 4,600 encounters with over 800 men, coded to the last detail (a “100” meant a home run of sex in all its permutations). He became a vital informant and also close friend of Alfred Kinsey, the sex researcher. He had several different names and identities—from “Phil Andros” for the readers of his literary erotica to “Doc Sparrow” for the Hell’s Angels of California, who so prized his exquisite draughtsmanship that he served for four years as their principal tattoo artist.
      He wrote gay erotic fiction for the very first publications that dared to carry it. Yet in a straw poll of well-read gay Americans by this reviewer, only one, now in his 70s, had even heard of Steward. This is a rich and exuberant biography of a man who deserves to be better known, as well as a rare window on gay life in an era known mostly for its furtiveness and repression.
---- Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade. By Justin Spring. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 496 pages; $32.50. Buy from Amazon.com
--- see the original article at The Economist at :-
http://www.economist.com/node/16789328?story_id=16789328&fsrc=rss

Books about teens who just happen to be gay ...

Gay literature for teens is in demand
--- excerpts from an article by Leanne Italie, The Associated Press, August 11 2010
      "Brent is a voracious reader, but he had a difficult time finding stories that spoke to his life. In eighth grade he came out to a friend, and together they searched their school library for stories that contained themes about being gay, being gay in the South, and being gay and fearing stereotypes.
      “There were tons of books about gangs and drugs and teen pregnancy, and there were no LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) books. I asked the librarian about it, and she was like, ‘This is middle school. I can only have appropriate books here," said Brent, now 15. So they went to their public library, where they discovered plenty of romantic gay steam between covers — for adults. “We weren’t complaining,” said Brent, who asked that his last name and hometown not be used.
      Turning next to bookstores, they finally found what they’d been looking for — a recent explosion in the publishing world of reads that speak to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning teens.
      First came a gem, Martin Wilson’s 2008 debut, “What They Always Tell Us,” set in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The story about a troubled year for two brothers, one of whom finds solace in a relationship with a boy, made him feel less like an “alien on your own planet.”
      A world of books followed. Brent read his way through Tom Dolby, Robin Reardon, Julie Ann Peters and David Levithan. He soon realized there were lots of coming out stories, but he also craved romance, fantasy and paranormal books with characters who just happened to be gay, like Damien in the “House of Night” vampire series he loves by the mother-daughter team P.C. and Kristin Cast.
      “I see the characters trickling into the mainstream genres. I really like that,” Brent said. “It makes being gay feel natural, which it is, of course. Books give you hope.”
....  Still, until now few LGBT titles became blockbusters. That changed with two boys: Will Grayson and a very large linebacker named Tiny. “Will Grayson, Will Grayson,” by Levithan and John Green, is a young adult novel with major gay themes and has delighted hungry teen readers. In alternating chapters, Green and Levithan write of two 16-year-old boys with little in common, living in separate Chicago suburbs. One is depressed and struggling to come out, and the other is straight with a flamboyantly gay friend in Tiny Cooper, a football star on the hunt for love — and stardom in musical theater.
.... “Landing as high on the New York Times list as we did with ‘Will Grayson, Will Grayson’ made a big statement to the children’s publishing world that gay characters are not a commercial liability,” Green said. “This is an important statement to make.”
---- Read more at:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/10/2139361/gay-lit-for-teens-is-in-demand.html#ixzz0wMdpUkG3
or at:  http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/10/2139361/gay-lit-for-teens-is-in-demand.html

Hot Amish Romance?

HOT: AMISH ROMANCE NOVELS
---by Molly Fisher, The New York Observer, August 9 2010

      "Mormon vampires no longer cut it: the savvy reader has begun looking elsewhere for her chaste-tease quasi-religious love stories. The cutting-edge romance reader is now buying "Amish inspirationals."

      USA Today calls Amish-themed books "one of the fastest-growing genres in romance publishing":
      In popular series such as Beverly Lewis' Seasons of Grace, Wanda Brunstetter's Indiana Cousins and Cindy Woodsmall's Sisters of the Quilt,the Amish fall in love while grappling with religious taboos and forbidden temptations.
      For these authors, "pushing the envelope means writing about an unmarried Amish woman letting her hair down in front of a man." And while the Amish may not technically be magical, they do give readers a time-travel-type feeling with their old-fashioned ways.
      For maximum hotness we recommend reading them on your Kindle."
--- see Molly's item in The Daily Transom section of The New York Observer at:-
http://www.observer.com/2010/daily-transom/hot-amish-romance-novels

Getting down & dirty - het & gay style

25 Pickup Lines to Use on New Bookworm Dating Site Alikewise

--- excerted from Judy Berman's whimsical article at The Huffington Post, Aug 6 2010
      "We suppose it was inevitable. You’ve seen Cupidtino, the dating site for Apple fans. And then there’s Tastebuds, which forges love connections between indie rockers. Now, to the surprise of absolutely no one, two Matts have launched Alikewise, a site that matches singles based on their taste in books. Just in case you were thinking of joining up and meeting your bookworm soul mate, we’ve put together this handy list of 25 pickup lines to use on the library-loving hottie of your dreams.

Wait until you see the size of my… Philip K. Dick library.
Just like James Joyce, I know how to make a girl go, “yes I said yes I will Yes.”
You’re so hunky, you must be hiding a rapidly aging portrait somewhere in your attic.
Girl, you’re so flawless, even James Wood couldn’t find anything to criticize.
Hey, baby, the sun is not the only thing that also rises.
I love the way you fill out an Amazon wishlist.
Do you know how I can contact Sherlock Holmes? Because I need to solve the mystery of how to win your heart.
Naked Lunch, anyone?
Welcome to my apartment — or, as the ladies like to call it, The Joy Luck Club.
How about you and I re-write The Story of O together?
I would endure a Dan Brown novel, if that’s what it took to win your heart.
You know Bookslut? They named it after me.
I finished Infinite Jest. Wanna bone?
--- see Judy Berman's remaining 12 witticisms at:-  http://flavorwire.com/110100/25-pickup-lines-to-use-on-new-bookworm-dating-site-alikewise
(Reading Is Sexy image by Sarah Utter.)

Sexy hot action & romance - in m/f, m/m, & f/f ....

Readers of Romance Novels have Better Sex Lives
--- excerpts from Bonnie Williams' observant article at Rethamoraga blog, 6 August 2010
      "According to BusinessWeek, every 5 seconds someone buys a romance novel. For those more mathematically inclined–that makes romance novels a $1.2 billion dollar a year industry. And it’s no wonder. Experts agree that readers of romance novels find it easier to “get in the mood” and on average, even have sex with their partners more often.
      Psychology Today states that women who read romance novels make love with their partners 74% more often than women who don’t. Why? Because, according to a scientific study conducted by Harold Leitenberg of the The Journal of Sex Research and Psychological Bulletin, when women fantasize frequently (as they do when they read romance novels), they have sex more often, have more fun in bed, and engage in a wider variety of erotic activities.
     Many therapists now go so far as to recommend reading steamy romance stories to boost a woman’s sex drive. Their reasoning: “taking part in enjoyable activities such as walking with a partner, listening to music, having a glass of wine, taking a bath, or reading a romance novel can help put women in the mood for sex. These activities can help women shift into their “sex self” from their role as mother, wife, employer, or employee,” says Carol Rinkleib Ellison, PhD, a psychologist and author of Women’s Sexualities. Christiane Northrup, M.D. of Women’s Health Wisdom also says: 'Consider reading novels or renting movies that contain sexual content to help you get in the mood.'
     Just as men become aroused while perusing nude magazines, women stimulate their emotional and their libido while reading a satisfying love scene.
     Women’s sex lives and the level of intimacy they have with their husbands, boyfriends or partners will show a noticeable improvement after reading a romance novel because it simply puts them in a more romantic state of mind. So what’s the link between romance novel and better sex lives?
     Emotional satisfaction."
--- see more of BonnieWilliams' article at :-
http://rethamoraga.easyworldwidemall.com/2010/08/06/readers-of-romance-novels-have-better-sex-lives/
Then ask the question:- Hey, do m/m romance novels have the same effect? 

A gay literature canon?

20 CLASSIC WORKS OF GAY LITERATURE ..
--- Los Angeles Times, August 4, 2010
      "Today U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker struck down Proposition 8, ruling that gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry. Proposition 8 was a 2008 ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in California.
      Both sides had said that, should they lose, they intended to appeal the ruling. Walker's decision is expected to be appealed to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and then up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
      On a day that will find many gay rights activists celebrating, we look to the books that have provided a richer understanding of the joys and challenges particular to gay life.
                                  20 classic works of gay literature
"Giovanni’s Room" by James Baldwin -- a man discovers his sexual identity in Paris
"Nightwood" by Djuna Barnes -- early postmodern fiction of women in Paris in love
"Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" by Alison Bechdel -- a graphic novel memoir of her troubled gay father and her own coming out
"Rubyfruit Jungle" by Rita Mae Brown -- the 1973 tale of a young woman’s coming of age
"Naked Lunch" by William S. Burroughs -- the focus of a breakthrough obscenity trial, a landmark experimental novel
"Oscar Wilde" by Richard Elmann -- bio of the lively writer whose gay relationship got him sent to prison for “gross indecency”
"Maurice" by E.M. Forster -- a love story written when homosexuality was illegal in England; published posthumously
"The Well of Loneliness" by Radclyffe Hall -- groundbreaking lesbian novel of the 1920s
"Invisible Life" by E. Lynn Harris -- an African American law student's sexual discovery
"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg -- the poem was subject to an obscenity trial in part because of its explicit gay themes
"Our Lady of the Flowers" by Jean Genet -- published in 1944, sexual adventures in Paris' criminal underground
"American Studies" by Mark Marlis -- an aging man looks back; won the LA Times book prize for first fiction
"Tales of the City" by Armistead Maupin -- in San Francisco, the stories about Michael Tolliver continued in five sequels
"Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir" by Paul Monette. A breathtaking yet matter-of-fact, day by day account of the death of his longtime partner from AIDS.
"Brokeback Mountain" by Annie Proulx -- a story of cowboys in love, from the collection "Close Range"
"City of Night" by John Rechy -- a novel of gay street hustlers in the 1950s
"The Complete Poems" by Sappho -- a woman's love poetry from the seventh century BC
"The Queen Is Dead" by Hubert Selby Jr. -- a story of a transvestite's death, from the collection "Last Exit to Brooklyn"
"The Master" by Colm Toibin -- an imagining of the life of Henry James
"Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" by Jeanette Winterson -- a young woman’s sexual awakening that won the Whitbread Prize for first fiction
-- prepared by Carolyn Kellogg, Nick Owchar and David L. Ulin for the Books section of the Los Angeles Times, 4 August 2010 at :-
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2010/08/20-classic-works-of-gay-literature.html

California's Prop 8 ruling & all that ... an interim win for gays?

Judge Vaughan Walker's Scathing Language ..
--- excerpts from SF Weekly's analysis of a controversial judgement, written by Joe Eskenazi, 4 August 2010
.... "The multitudes who took to the streets yesterday to either celebrate or denigrate Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling overturning Prop. 8 in many ways resembled the millions of tipplers worldwide who lift a glass on Bloomsday -- but would never dream of reading Ulysses.
     Now, James Joyce ain't for everybody. But Walker is. In addition to being an incredibly powerful legal document that higher courts will not be able to easily dismiss, the judge's ruling is, quite simply, well-written. Believe us -- we've read it. It's a lot easier to ge through than Joyce.
     The judge expends page after page detailing the failures of the foes of same-sex marriage to make the case that allowing gays and lesbians to marry will, somehow, hurt society or the institution of marriage -- and, therefore, must be stopped.
     The defense was lazy: Even after it became clear the trial would not be broadcast live, a handful of witnesses who'd had qualms about this were not called to testify. The two witnesses the defense did manage to get into court came off as cowardly, buffoonish, unqualified, and disingenuous. Stripped of their lame testimony, same-sex marriage foes were largely left with only the Tevye argument -- "Tradition!" Not good enough, said Walker:

     Proponents' argument that tradition prefers opposite-sex couples to same-sex couples equates to the notion that opposite-sex relationships are simply better than same-sex relationships.
     Tradition alone cannot legitimate this purported interest. Plaintiffs presented evidence showing conclusively that the state has no interest in preferring opposite-sex couples to same-sex couples or in preferring heterosexuality to homosexuality. Moreover, the state cannot have an interest in disadvantaging an unpopular minority group simply because the group is unpopular.
     The evidence shows that the state advances nothing when it adheres to the tradition of excluding same-sex couples from marriage. Proponents' asserted state interests in tradition are nothing more than tautologies and do not amount to rational bases for Proposition 8."
--- see Eskenazi's 2-page SF Weekly article & its readers' comments at :- http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/08/prop_8_ruling_literature_and_s.php
--- while an informed 4-page analysis of Judge Walker's rationale is here:-
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/08/prop_8_ruling_judge_vaughn_wal.php

Hot erotica beyond the vampires & werewolves ...

EROTICA - Fanning the Flames ...
--- excerpts from Sarah J. Robbins article at Publisher's Weekly, 2 August 2010
     ".... The demand for explicit sexual writing is as strong as ever, & readers want characters with a range of desires & experiences, & stories that push the limits of their fantasies. .... "Erotica is not the only place where you can get that really sexy read," says St.Martin's senior editor Monique Patterson. "We have really sexy suspense, really sexy paranormal, & really sexy mass market." ....
.... The most recent erotica renaissance began about five years ago when publishers like Kensington, Harlequin, Avon, & Penguin first launched erotica imprints. .... Still, the category evolves. Last month gay erotic fiction publisher ManLoveRomance started a new imprint for heterosexual erotica called Passion In Print. "MLR Press is growing each year with an audience of gay men & straight women readers," says publisher Laura Baumbach. "I knew that the same high-quality, highly charged erotic writing would translate over the larger mainstream audience just as well." ....
.... No matter the medium, when readers sit down with their erotica, more & more are opting for the quickie: If Twitter is changing the way we communicate, a similar abbreviated form is influencing erotica .... these very-short shorts (anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand words) that are gaining ground. .... Writers may have been empowered by the 1,200 word limit ....
.... The hunger for paranormal erotica is just as voracious. .... The possibilities available to writers of paranormal romance inspire innovative & often edgy decisions. But vampires & werewolves aren't the only critters tantalizing readers these days. .. Other types of transformations are afoot these days in the erotic fairy tale, which has become a perennial paranormal favorite. ....
.... While Regency & Victorian England have been particular favorites for erotica writers, there is an increasingly popular spin on the past: erotic steam-punk - fantastical writing set in the 19th Century when steam was the primary source of power. ....
.... And for the more literary-minded, there's erotic memoir: what could be a hotter reading experience than as voyeur to someone's most private sexual experiences?
--- see this & far more in Sarah J. Robbins' extensive, detailed 4-page article at Publishers Weekly at :-
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/44013-erotica-fanning-the-flames.html

The Dynamics of the Price of a Kindle ...

The future of e-readers: A cheap Kindle is a sold out Kindle.
-- by Meghan Keane at econsultancy.com, 2 August 2010
     Amazon has seen great success with the Kindle. And last week, the company dropped the cost of its e-reader once again. And saw the new Kindle sell out over the weekend. Strong sales of e-readers have shown that people want to read books on a digital device. ....
.... The new Kindle went on sale last Wednesday, and Amazon lowered the cost of its new digital product. The price of the 3G Kindle and Wi-Fi Kindle were dropped to $189 and $139 respectively.
     The price of e-readers has been heading steadily downhill .... This price war is on the verge of upending the entire e-book market.
     William J. Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble, told The New York Times recently:  "I don't see more than two or maybe three dedicated reading companies in the market for selling ebooks -- I think you are starting to see a shake-out now."
     A few months ago there were mulitudes of e-books entering the market. But with Apple's iPad debut, digital reading devices had to do more than deliver a better reading experience than competitors. They had to do it cheap. We'll probably see prices drop even lower soon. According to EWeek, Copia will release an e-reader for under $100 this [northern] fall.
     But consumers aren't waiting for that. This week, the Kindle sold out at its new price point. New orders will ship as late as September 4th. By then, the e-reader market might be slimmed down. ....
.... If it hasn't happened already, digtal readers might be sold at or below cost in the near future. Why? Because selling books is a growth business in digital. And getting mobile reading devices into consumers hands is the route to those sales. For electronics companies, they only sell one piece of the puzzle.
     If Barnes and Noble can further their business of selling the content that exists on e-readers, the devices will get even cheaper.
     Case in point — Amazon is currently working on its app store, which is expected to launch later this year. As Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos tells The Wall Street Journal, the Kindle is a way to get people purchasing more books. .... "We developed this device for serious readers. At these price points, it may be much broader than that. People will buy them for their kids. People won't share Kindles any more."
     When Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle to $189, the company tripled growth rates of the device year over year. And 80% of Kindle books sold on Amazon are sold to Kindle owners. Ian Freed, Amazon's vice president of digital, tells CNET that Amazon now has 80% of the digital book market. Getting Kindles in the hands of customers is a big part of that. He says:  "The device business continues to grow with a device [the second-generation Kindle] that's over a year old, and then the content is growing both with the device sales and independently with the apps. We see a lot of customers start with apps and buy a Kindle later."
--- see the full article by Meghan Keane plus other informed media articles at :-
http://econsultancy.com/blog/6364-the-future-of-e-readers-kindle-cuts-costs-and-sells-out

Gays, women, writing & the Church

Author Anne Rice 'quits' being a Christian over attitudes to gays & women ...
---  Anne Rice, author of the gothic series The Vampire Chronicles & mother of a successful author exploring gay themes, Christopher Rice, published in 2005 the first volume of a 3-part fictional autobiography of Jesus, Christ the Lord. Now, apparently, Anne has resiled from her conversion to Catholicism. The Planet Homo site tells it like it is, July 28 2010
     "I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."
     Anne Rice, the author of Interview with a Vampire, has "quit" Christianity over the faith's "hostile" attitudes to gay rights, women and contraception.
     She converted to Catholicism 12 years ago but announced on her Facebook yesterday that although she remained "committed to Christ", she no longer wanted to be part of the faith.
     Rice was brought up Catholic but was atheist for many years until vowing at the age of 57 to dedicate her writing entirely to Christ.
     On Tuesday, she posted a link on her Facebook page to a story about a US Republican-linked punk rock Christian ministry which allegedly said that Muslim countries which execute gay people are more "moral" than the US.
     Rice wrote: "No wonder people despise us, Christians, and think we are an ignorant and violent lot. I don't blame them. This kind of thing makes me weep. Maybe commitment to Christ means not being a Christian.
     On Wednesday, she added: "For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity.
     "It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else."
--- item excerpted from Planet Homo at  :-
http://planethomo.typepad.com/planethomo/2010/07/author-anne-rice-quits-being-a-christian-over-attitudes-to-gays-and-women-.html
via its source at :-
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/