Sexual Personae : Art & Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (Paperback)

from jensenmk82

A stimulating work, and perhaps Paglia had to write that way to get the attention of a wider public, but reading her is in the end like being hit on the head over and over again with a hammer. Still, there are flashes of genus... like "Driving is the American sublime" (quoted from memory).

from JenneB

Okay, I didn't read ALL of this book, but it made my brain hurt in a good way. I tried to get like, ANYONE I KNEW to read it so I could discuss it with somebody, but no joy.Still, after reading Maureen Dowd's "Are Men Necessary" I kind of want to go back to this for a less stupid perspective on w...

from LisaMaria_C

The subtitle? "Art and decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickenson." (The cover strikingly puts that across visually with a bust half-Nefertiti/half-Dickenson.) In the Preface Paglia says her book "seeks to demonstrate the unity and continuity of western culture." She also revealingly says: "My l...

from mrtall

Camille Paglia's monumental, mesmerizing Sexual Personae is one of the great unsung works of the 20th century. Paglia proposes a broad yet plausible thesis: i.e. that the great unresolved tension between cool, incisive Apollonian artistry and earthy, brutal Dionysian chaos is the engine that has ...

from Cecilturtle

It's long but it's a great insight into taboos and how they are reflected in society. Strong focus on 19th and 20th centuries.