Memoirs of a Fall Quarter of Pleasure

This quarter got me to think about broader contexts and new research projects that could include Cleland’s Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. It also made me super happy that you all seemed to be on board with my crazy ideas of film commentary and magazine interview as critical practice: thanks friends! There is sure to be more off-the-wall critical production in the future.

Here are my four takeaways from the work we’ve done together this quarter:

1. Check out American literature as a place for more sexy texts in the 1700 and early 1800s. Elizabeth Dillons’ “The Secret History of the American Novel” had many points of intersection with the work I’d like to do, but I’d not even thought about trying to get more transatlantic in project scope. Reproduction, the novel, the metropole, race, libertines… there are so many avenues to explore across the sea! Who knows what comparative readings these texts could unlock? 
2. Cool kids revise their past work. Nancy Armstrong’s frank discussion about her initial oversights in reading Foucault made me think about how important rereading is for critical work. Now I keep thinking about the idea of revision, much as Desirée mentioned in her last post. Not only should we reread primary texts and criticism, but our own work too. Change happens and it’s often super fruitful. 
3. Make an erotic literature survey course. I want to teach the class that I started to build in our teaching posts (here and here) someday. I will not give into the urge to start drafting a dream syllabus until this quarter’s papers are done… as much as I may want to. All ideas as to material are welcome.
4. Production is everywhere, everytime. “The Circle of Life” isn’t just about lions, Hamlet rewrites, and the savannah. It’s also about legitimate production and a denial of those who refuse to reproduce. Memoirs, I never knew you and The Lion King had so much in common. Averyl’s and Jessica’s comments in particular made some great connections between things that, on the surface, have absolutely nothing in common.