Often, the way you treat sex in a book determines where it is shelved in the shop.
If the sex is too exciting, or strays outside the usual fare your book could be moved to the Erotica section or even find itself excluded from your neighborhood bookshop.
I have always found this fascinating, as no matter how violent your book is, or how graphic a murder your include, there isn't the same risk as with representing a wider range of sexual experiences. For this reason, I was eager to have Saskia Vogel on to discuss her novel, Permission, a novel that centers around a dominatrix and her world. This novel has been included in the literary fiction category, and rightly so, I believe.
What does it mean to include sex, sexual experiences, and more fringe lifestyles in literature? How can you do this respectfully and promote a positive conversation on the topic? What is an author's responsibility when including life experiences that haven't been widely written about in literature before?
Saskia and I went deep into this topic and I enjoyed the conversation so much. We honestly could have talked for another several hours, so I hope very much that we'll have the chance to have her on again to speak about this and other topics.
I look forward to your thoughts and comments. The discussion continues in the show notes comments and on Twitter and Instagram, where I can be found at @carodonahue. Reach out there and tag #permissiontoconnect to be a part of Saskia's tour and conversation.
Show notes with links and full transcript: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/saskia-vogel-148
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#148 : Putting Sexuality at the Center | Saskia Vogel