| In 1996 Daphne Merkin exploded in controversy with her New Yorker essay, "Spanking: A Romance," in which she described her erotic fascination with being spanked. This richly thoughtful and cosmopolitan collection of pieces ranges across the spectrum of her interests, from women's fascination with scarfs to the ambivalent charms of lesbianism; from interview/portraits of Martin Scorsese and Norman Mailer to ruminations on the Biblical books of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon; from tanning, thinning, and breast reduction surgery to her girlhood dreams of Hitler and Jewish self-hatred. A marvelous series of short essays that first appeared in "American Film," "Esquire," "The NY Times Magazine," "Mirabella," "Partisan Review," and many others. | ||
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Plot & Themes Political/social rights fight Yes Plotlet: Ethnic/Relig. of subject (inside) Gender/Class story? - woman's story Taboo Sex Story? Yes If this is a culture clash: - minority culture living in majority area Ethnic/regional/gender Yes Subject of Biography Gender - Female Profession/status: Ethnicity - Jew Nationality - American Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 2 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast City? Yes City: - New York Century: - 1980's-Present Writing Style Book makes you feel? - thoughtful - like laughing Graphic sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - - use of artificial tools - impregnation/reproduction - lesbians! - actual description of hetero sex How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog |
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