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Dirty Books

Erotic Fiction and the Avant-Garde in Mid-Century Paris and New York
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Dirty Books explores the underground world of banned pornographic literature produced from the 1930s to the 1970s in New York and Paris. It profiles daring publishers like Jack Kahane of Obelisk Press and Maurice Girodias of Olympia Press, alongside the young, often anonymous writers who challenged norms under the cloak of anonymity. Many of these authors, including AnaΓ―s Nin and Henry Miller, later emerged as figures of modernist literature. The book reveals how the erotica trade was intertwined with the early sexual revolution and helped launch the careers of key literary cult figures.
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Format: Hardback
$4999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in literary history, avant-garde culture, the early sexual revolution, and the interaction between censorship and art. It appeals to those who appreciate scholarly yet accessible studies of underground and banned literature.

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The fascinating story of fearless and innovative publishers and authors who wrote their own sexual revolution before the sexual revolution.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the 1930s to the 1970s, in New York and in Paris, daring publishers and writers were producing banned pornographic literature. The books were written by young, impecunious writers, poets, and artists, many anonymously. Most of these pornographers wrote to survive, but some also relished the freedom to experiment that anonymity provided β€” men writing as women, and women writing as men β€” and some, like Anas Nin and Henry Miller, went on to become influential figures in modernist literature.

Dirty Books tells the stories of these authors and their remarkable publishers: Jack Kahane of Obelisk Press and his son Maurice Girodias of Olympia Press, whose catalogue and repertoire anticipated that of the more famous US publisher Grove Press. It offers a humorous and vivid snapshot of a fascinating moment in pornographic and literary history, uncovering a hidden, earlier history of the sexual revolution, when the profits made from erotica helped launch the careers of literary cult figures.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Andrew Hussey of The Literary Review praises the book for its "admirable scholarly precision." James Campbell in The Spectator calls the chapter on Kahane’s Obelisk Press "one of the best." Yorkshire Times highlights its "calculated, stylised, elegantly written" approach, respectful of the vernacular in pornographic literature. Douglas Field, author of All Those Strangers, finds it "a gripping account of sex, censorship and the avant-garde," showing the deep connections between erotic fiction and modernist writing.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526159243

Publisher: Manchester University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 13 June 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Manchester University Press

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 426g

Pages: 312

About the Author

Nina Attwood is the author of The Prostitute's Body: Rewriting Prostitution in Victorian England (2011).

Barry Reay is the author or co-author New York Hustlers: Masculinity and Sex in Modern America (2010), and Sex before Sexuality: A Premodern History (2011).

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  • Dirty Books
    An intimate history of the pornographic publisher behind some of the greatest works of the twentieth-century avant-garde. From the 1930s to the 1970s, in New York and in Paris, daring publishers and writers were producing banned pornographic literature. The authors of the books were young, impecunious writers, poets, and artists. Most of them wrote to survive, but some relished the...
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