Professor lectures on eroticism in 18th century literature

[Story]

Submitted for the general amusement of all, as I suspect few would be able to attend.

http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2009/4/...ntury-literatu/

By Angela Case

Published April 9, 2009

Professor Kathleen Lubey of St. John's University likes porn, specifically the history of porn.

Lubey presented a lecture titled "Dirty Minds: Eroticism and the 18th Century Imagination" Thursday at Tate Hall. In the talk, Lubey discussed and compared various examples of pornographic literature produced between 1660 and 1760.

"Functioning at once as lectures and as entertainment, fiction of 18th-century England burdens itself to educate young readers on moral and social matters, while remaining alluring and compelling narratively," Lubey said.

Lubey then dissected and compared works, such as William Hogarth's "The Analysis of Beauty," John Cleland's "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" and Samuel Richardson's "Pamela."

The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session in which Lubey elaborated on several of the points presented in her lecture.

Lubey, an English professor specializing in 18th-century British literature and sexuality and gender studies, said she became interested in the topic when she began pursuing her master's degree about 10 years ago.

"I ended up writing my master's thesis on the commonality between novels of virtue and pornographic novels," she said.

Lubey also said as an undergraduate, she became interested in the feminist objections to pornography. "To see that these questions were already being circulated in the 1740s, if not earlier, I just thought was great," she said. "The history of pornography became completely, endlessly fascinating to me."

Lubey's lecture was the first-ever event presented by the 18/19th-Century British Studies Student Group, the group's founder and President Emily Friedman said.

"This group was formally brought together last fall," she said. "We're basically a core group of English and history students who have been going to conferences together. This is our way of contributing to the community."

The group plans to host more events and talks in the future if funding is available, she said.

The primary function of the group is to bring together people who are interested in the study of the 18th and 19th century.

"Whether they are scholars or professors or interested undergraduates or anyone who's interested in these kinds of texts," she said.

The group strives to make its discussions relevant to contemporary events.

"I would imagine with the next 'Jane Austen and zombies' wave of Austen adaptations, we'll probably be talking about those types of issues as well," said Friedman, referring to Seth Grahame-Smith's new book "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."

"As 18th centrists, we believe that our work illuminates the 20th century in all kinds of cool ways," Friedman said, citing a focus on sex as an example.

In its discussions and events, the group tries to highlight those similarities, Friedman said.

[LadyBrower]

That's really interesting. I wish their was more detailed information on the lecture itself, but when I went looking the only thing that popped up was this forum post, and the link provided. :-/

I am interested in the similarities that are mentioned between "novels of virtue" and porn. Modern porn certainly seems to lack in moral lessons, but perhaps the porn or the 18th century has more to offer? I don't know but I am going to find out.

Given the literacy rates of the period, do you think porn was marketed more towards upper class men (and women?) more than the lower echelons? And is there any evidence of visual pornography for those who can't read dirty books?

[Story]

I think it's safe to say, that 18th century erotica ran the gammut from the vulgar to the sublime, with something for every socio-economic niche.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/382...hecostumersmani

and with as much controversy as it does today

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:18t...x-education.jpg

This woman's webpage explores the issue, a bit

http://www.costumes.org/MWBH/100pages/quillsdesade.htm

Also a friend of mine has reproduced sets of playing cards, with European-style semi-clothed women in positions worthy of the Kama Sutra. That would seem to appeal to the low and middlin' classes, while there were bronzes and oil paintings that were obviously only affordable to the upper class.