Jane Sexes It Up: True Confessions of Feminist Desire

Brief Description: In "Jane Sexes It Up, " 20 young, progressive feminists reflect on the limitations they think are imposed by establishment feminism on their bodies and their behavior. In these essays, headed up by editor Merri Lisa Johnson's "Generation X Does the Sex Wars," the writers confess their seemingly antifeminist longings and question what role feminist ideals should play in women's sexuality. In "Spanking and the Single Girl," Chris Daley wonders whether it's acceptable to play the submissive role in an S/M exchange. In "Vulvodynia -- How Porn Made Me a Woman," Katinka Hooijer reveals her affection for porn and the inner conflict her predilection inspires. Sex toy store owner Sarah Smith declares a "dildo revolution" -- for women and men, gay and straight -- in her essay of the same name. Whatever the angle, the authors all champion a sex-positive feminism. Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 02/25/2002 pg. 54 (EAN 9781568581804, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Johnson, Merri Lisa Merri Lisa Johnson has published widely on representations of female sexuality in literature and popular culture. She is Editor of "Jane Sexes It Up" (2001) and of two online collections: a special issue of "Women Writers" on "Autobiographical Literary Criticism" and a special issue of "The Scholar and Feminist" on "Feminist Television Studies: The Case of HBO." She is Director of the Center for Women's Studies at the University of Carolina-Upstate.