From Publishers Weekly
Ambitious and uneven, this sprawling anthology presents "multiple facets of female sexuality and subjectivity" in a variety of genres by Canadian and American women. Contributions range from relatively straightforward lesbian and heterosexual encounters to Gigi the Galaxy Girl's "For the Love of a Good Toaster," with forays into vegetables, heroin and dancing with devils. Though well-known authors (including Nicole Brossard, Erica Jong, Xaviera Hollander and Barbara Wilson) grace the collection, their sections are typically drawn from older works. A notable exception is Mary Gaitskill's essay "The Rose Taboo," an engaging reflection on the problematic erotics of singer Axl Rose. Editor Crosbie would have done well to open with this piece, which prepares the reader for the rough, exuberant and often violent offerings of the more contemporary contributors. First printed in fanzines, alternative comics and other non-mainstream venues, these works are characterized for the most part by an aggressive sexuality which revels variously in spanking, necrophilia, nihilism and other questionable delights. Roberta Gregory's cartoon "Bitchy Bitch Gets Laid" is notable for its truly disgusting depictions of bodies in conjunction. Pieces by Kathy Acker and Lydia Lunch, whose work first appeared in countercultural publications, provide a useful standard against which to measure the quality of the other contributors in this arena. As a whole, the anthology will certainly add to the furor over what constitutes erotica. It is not for the squeamish.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A ripe, raunchy, romantic collection that laughs in the face of standard notions of female sexuality. Thirty-nine writers and artists, both famous and unknown, demonstrate women taking control of their bodies and redefining love and lust in ways that range from passionately lyrical to hard- core steamy. In ``Isle of Skye,'' Rebecca Brown reveals the private musings of two women from different countries trying to communicate through a language barrier; when they still don't connect after intimate moments in which they make up words they ``can't write or say, delicious, private, warm as thighs,'' we see that fear represents an even greater barrier. Barbara Gowdy's ``We So Seldom Look On Love'' dives into the psyche of a necrophile who can find ``no replacement for the torrid serenity of a cadaver'' to illuminate not something sick, but something shockingly seductive. Mary Gaitskill's essay, ``The Rose Taboo,'' explains what in many circles would be considered un-P.C. empathy and admiration for Axl Rose of the band Guns N' Roses. Erica Jong contributes her usual in the form of ``Fruits & Vegetables'' and other poetry--lots of moans and thrusts. And Roberta Gregory's outrageous comic strip ``Bitchy Bitch Gets Laid'' defies description. By and large, poet Crosbie (Miss Pamela's Mercy--not reviewed) makes keen selections--although some narratives, like Kathy Acker's ``New York City in 1979,'' are too heavy on the feminist jargon to be readable, and the point of reproducing photocopied female genitalia remains opaque. Sexy, fierce, riveting. A great bedside read. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
