Kristina Lloyd and Mathilde Madden, the visionaries behind Erotica Cover Watch (and talented authors, both) are closing up shop on their controversial, eye-opening website devoted to calling attention to the sexism on book covers. It’s been eighteen months (!!) since they first turned a critical eye to the practice of adorning erotic novels and anthologies with women (or women’s body parts). What’s wrong with that, you ask? Ah, then you haven’t been following the conversation. Go back to the beginning and read on for a very enlightening, and often controversial, discussion on book covers, sexism and sexuality.
The conversation originally started on Jeremy Edwards‘ blog when he featured a forthcoming book cover and I posted this innocent comment:
Thanks for sharing the cover. I need to get that hotter than summer picture up on my blog!
But, seriously, when are they going to put a hunky dude on the cover? Jeremy, you really need to volunteer to correct the gender discrimination.
I am proud to say it was my little comment that triggered a long discussion on Jeremy’s blog. (Jeremy, ever the gracious host, let us rant in his comments. No word yet on whether he’ll be a cover model on future books, though.) Kristina responded to my comment:
Kristina, I couldn’t agree more!
I am so tired of seeing covers which completely ignore a readership of straight women. Erotica still seems to be stuck in the 70s, its target being primarily het men. And the argument used to defend this goes round in self-fulfilling circles - straight men are (always have been) the main audience, therefore we must market to them if we’re to make any money ... therefore men are (still) the main audience.
I really wish there was an erotica publisher willing to move forward from this.
From there, the comments starting flying over the course of two different blog posts (poor Jeremy) and then the conversation morphed into an amazing, provocative website that criticized sexist book covers and short-sighted publishers and honored the male form in all its naked glory. (Known as Man Candy Monday!)
These two awesome women tackled a difficult subject head on, opening eyes and pushing buttons (and burning a bridge or two in the process), all in the name of equality. They asked us to think, to question, to get angry (with them, not at them). Did their blog do any good? Absolutely! Because of Kristina and Mathilde and their battle cry against sexism, XCite Books has started featuring the male body on a number of their erotica titles. (And I’m delighted to have a story in Temptations 1!)
Contemplate that for a moment. Because of Kristina and Mathilde and Erotica Cover Watch, there are book covers that go against the industry norm. Wow. I mean… just… wow. And that’s not all they accomplished in the past year and a half. I encourage you to pop over to read Kristina’s summary of their work (and take a look at those hot new covers!).
I’m thrilled that I was there at the beginning of their campaign and I’m honored that I am included in their farewell post, along with the cover of Fairy Tale Lust. I will admit, my first thought when I saw my first book cover for Cleis Press was, “I love it!” My second thought was, “Kristina Lloyd will be pleased!”
I wish Kristina and Mathilde all the best. They deserve kudos for devoting a chunk of their time and creative energy to Erotica Cover Watch. In lieu of flowers (which they have certainly earned), I offer them some farewell man candy:
This is the box of baby hats that Jay and I crocheted (me) and knitted (he) for Save the Children’s Knit One, Save One campaign. At final count, we had twenty baby hats. Honestly, I should have made more. I crocheted a bunch in early fall and then got wrapped up in the end of the semester and holiday stuff. Still, it was rewarding to box them up and send them off. Hopefully they will bring warmth to twenty babies in need.
Have you been making baby hats for Save the Children’s Knit One, Save One campaign? I have! Well, crocheting them, actually. Jay has knitted a few, too, when he’s been home to knit. Here are some of the hats we’ve made:
Grace seems to be choosing a hat for herself, doesn’t she?
This one is my favorite so far:
There is still plenty of time to make baby hats! You can read my original blog post about the campaign and visit the Save the Children website for the activity kit! Make a hat, save a baby.
Is it crazy that I would contemplate spending $2,500 for a concert ticket but refuse to part with my sixteen year old Miata? Yeah, that’s what I thought. I don’t care-- I’m all about the experience and what a freakin’ awesome experience this would be:
The Piano Man and the Boss are putting on a show for Obama.
Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen will do a benefit concert for Senator Barack Obama’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee next month at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Oct. 16.
(found via The Caucus, The New York Times Political Blog and Twitter’s Election 2008 page)
Tickets are reported to start at $500 for balcony seating and go up to $2,500 for premiere seating and $10,000 for lounge seating. But when I go to the Barack Obama contribution page, there isn’t a button for the $500 tickets. I suppose they must have already sold out. Not that I would spend that kind of money for concert tickets.
Ah, who am I kidding? I would. In a heartbeat.
$2,500 is a little harder to justify, though. Even if Barack is going to make an appearance.
It’s that time of year again!
Save the Children’s Knit One, Save One campaign has begun.
Jay and I participated in the Caps to the Capital campaign in 2006. I think we made around thirty baby caps between us. His efforts were a bit more successful than mine, as some of you may recall. But the end result was a box of baby caps bound for babies in need:
The deadline for mailing caps this year is December 31. The Knit One, Save One Action Kit includes four knitted and two crocheted cap patterns. It’s a perfect activity for those chilly autumn nights on the couch, watching television. It takes about an hour to two hours for me to crochet a baby hat-- and I’m slow. Oh, and there are some seriously cute pictures of baby hats on the website if you need more inspiration.
Knit a hat, save a baby and pass the message along.
What’s it all about?
Life. Love. Writing. Editing. Sex. Books. Romance. Movies. Friendship. Photography. Teaching. Coffee. (Lots of coffee.) Travel. Feminism. Academia. Insomnia. Memories. Experiences. Rants. Raves. Reviews. Babies. Pregnancy. Motherhood. Insanity. Musings of an insomniac writer. Want to know more?
