Speaking the Unspeakable - A Poetics of Obscenity

This book studies the literary and cinematic functions of the pornographic as a development from a poetics of obscenity. It focuses on the developments of French, British, and American artistic pornography since the eighteenth century. Discussing female literary figures including Hall, Wharton, Nin, "Reage," Jong, and Shulman; such men as Cleland, Sade, Beardsley, Lawrence, Joyce, and Miller; and film makers such as Brakhage, Jack Smith, Bruce Conner, Bertolucci, Oshima, and Wertmuller; Michelson analyzes both the use of aesthetic pornography and the philosophical, cultural, and legal implications of its use. He proposes that realizing the obscene --in the sense of speaking the unspeakable-- is the principle aesthetic function of pornography.

About the author

Peter Michelson teaches in the English Department at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Product details

• Authors: Peter Michelson
• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 08.12.1992
• EAN: 9780791412237
• ISBN: 978-0-7914-1223-7
• No. of pages: 312
• Series: Suny Series, the Margins of Li; Suny Series, the Margins of Li
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Literatur: Geschichte und Kritik, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Political, Literature - Classics / Criticism, LITERARY CRITICISM / LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans)