To See is to Be Seen
Apparently I said something deeply offensive when I tweeted that, among the many functions that sex serves, one is to see yourself through the eyes of your lover. When it finally occurred to me why the statement might be offensive to some people, it depressed me. It’s political, of course. Although I realize it is […]
The Long Hard Look
“…at the core of human being is an exhibitionistic impulse: in order for us to see ourselves we must be seen.” Alessandra Lemma on Lacan* Whether you believe in universal truths or you acknowledge that they are negotiated and constructed within cultures, it matters not. It is useful to entertain their existence. Being an atheist, […]
Abstraction: Desire and Disgust
Jacques Lacan once famously said ‘the Woman does not exist.” Like so many French theorists, it’s a confrontational statement designed to draw a response. It’s important to really read it with care and to know, above all, who is speaking it. Lacan was male. But it’s a fun place to start an argument – there […]
The Impossible Eroticism of Time
I’ve always been obsessed with history. I wank against old walls, moisten while reading about the Spanish Civil war, the Crusades, the Inquisition in South America, the Russian Revolution, the Long March. It has taken me a long time to unravel why it is that history does this to me and why, when I visit […]
Monster Porn: And the Sublime Attractions of Orientalism
I’d like to introduce you to the critical concept of ‘Orientalism.’ The word stems from a book, with the same title, written in 1978 by Edward Said. It is one of the foundational texts of the Post-Colonial criticism movement. You’re wondering how it relates to Monster Porn – I can tell – but it can […]
Editing Yourself: Over-writing and what to do about it
I have a confession to make: I’m a chronic over-writer. In fact, unless you are one of those very few people who do almost all your editing while you are writing the first draft, you do too. There isn’t anything wrong with over-writing. It’s a mistake to think that you can leave it as is. […]
Unpacking The Baggage of History: Sex Work and the Myth of Protecting Women
I recently had an interesting twitter interchange with Mistress Matisse on the subject of sex work. On December 4th, the National Assembly in France passed a bill criminalizing the purchase of sexual services. It is a move overwhelmingly supported by feminists around the world. I wanted to express my opinion on this matter and my […]
Truth in Fiction: Wealth is not an adequate plot device.
Let me offer you a common premise: ingenue meets twenty-something billionaire and, after a stormy romantic voyage, accessorized with luxury brand-name products and services, and pitted with weak-premised misunderstandings, missed opportunities, ecstatically successful sex – even when it’s entirely non-consensual – and totally groundless jealousies, ends in a happily ever after moment. Last week, I […]
Collaborative Writing of a Story Cycle: Salome Jones on Red Phone Box
Almost two years ago now, I was very honoured to be invited to contribute to a wonderful project called Red Phone Box. It is a collected, interwoven set of writings
HandSome Devil
For me, it’s not his eyes, or the face, or the pecs, or the ass… It’s the hands.