The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Obscene Obsession by Kelsy Burke, SWS member, is out this week! Kelsy purposely wrote it to be accessible to a general audience to deepen our understanding of sexuality, politics, and culture in America and I think it would be a great addition to undergrad classrooms. You can find a teaching guide here.
Here are some of the early reviews:
- “Burke has the gift of being supremely unruffled about even the most incendiary of subjects . . . The anti-porn and porn-positive camps she’s been chronicling actually care about the same things, she concludes: ‘human rights, sexual consent, and living a fulfilling life.’ Everyone wants to achieve ‘a real and authentic sexuality’ and break away from the ‘fake sex that surrounds us.’” ―Laura Kipnis, The Atlantic
- “Compelling… No other book has covered American battles over porn quite so extensively… Burke establishes herself as a reliable guide with firsthand knowledge of the allure emanating from countervailing social forces. … I learned a great deal from The Pornography Wars and recommend it to experts and beginners alike.” ―Whitney Strub, Los Angeles Review of Books
- “A mature, thoughtful book about a complex and divisive topic. No matter their personal opinions, readers will likely find observations here to inform their thoughts about pornography’s creation and consumption.” ―Library Journal, Starred Review
- “Compassionate and well-balanced … refreshingly unbiased … an astute and forthright presentation of a hotly contested issue.” ―Publishers Weekly
- “A great overview… informative… And it has a fresh angle: rather than portray porn performers, producers, and pro-sex feminists as polar opposites of the people crusading against pornography, Burke suggests ‘this dividing line of anti- or pro-porn is a false dichotomy.’” ―Reason
Interested in ordering a copy or would like more information, visit: https://geni.us/pornographywars