How does Lorde define the “erotic” (why is it a source of empowerment? who has access to the erotic?)? How does Lorde define the “pornographic”? What are the significance of these definitions and how/do they differ from common understandings/usage of these terms?

Part 1: How does Lorde define the “erotic” (why is it a source of empowerment? who has access to the erotic?)? How does Lorde define the “pornographic”? What are the significance of these definitions and how/do they differ from common understandings/usage of these terms? (Lorde’s essay was published in 1978, right around the same time we see a growth in antipornography feminism. Why is that relevant and how does that affect our understanding of Lorde’s meaning?)

Part 2: Compare/contrast how this unit’s assigned materials describe the role of desire and sex within women’s experiences? Within the feminist movement? What effects do feminist disagreements over the role of sex, desire, and pornography have on women’s lives and what does Allison’s reading tell us about that? How does Hollibaugh’s exploration of the meaning of “pornographic” speak to / align with / complicate / contradict Lorde’s essay and Dworkin’s? What does Hollibaugh tell us about the role of power in sex and what does Dworkin’s tell us about the role of power in sex? How do any of these pieces (Allison, Lorde, Dworkin, Hollibaugh) continue to matter to us in the 21st century?

articles in the files !

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