The Pervert's Library

Sex In Prison front cover

By Sandor Siegel
Published in 1967 by New Library Books

Following the standard case study format that was typical of its time, Sex in Prison is divided into two books: “Women without Men” and “Men without Women.  The bulk of the chapters consist of an “interview” with a prisoner conducted by the “psychologist” author, though there is additional text to spice up the text.  Taken as a whole, the studies serve to reinforce all the stereotypes of prisoners (and prison sex) while entertainingly adding a few new wrinkles to the standard views of prison-sex.

“Women without Men” contains three case studies.  The first case presented is Mona, a prostitute who willingly has sex with other inmates before being forced to have sex with the prison’s matron.  Next we meet Marian, a lesbian. Categorized as a juvenile delinquent, Marian grew up a neglected child and is imprisoned for the murder of her rapist.  Since this tome is devoted to prurient interests, the reader is treated to great detail of all of Marian’s trials and tribulations.  Finally, we meet Kitty, a straight nymphomaniac who reluctantly engages in lesbianism to sate her desires.

“Men without Women” begins with another juvenile delinquent, Phil.  As Phil’s tale unfolds we learn that he discovered that his sister was in a lesbian relationship with Linda.  Seeing his sister and Linda, Phil is so consumed with lust that he does the only thing logical: he begins an incestuous relationship with his sister.  Later, Phil and other members of his gang rape Linda.  Phil ultimately murders Linda because she began to talk about Phil’s relationship with his sister during the course of the rape.  What does all of this have to do with prison sex? Not much, so the chapter concludes with an aside that relieve his sexual urges during his incarceration, Phil has turned to onanism (masturbation.)

The next chapter introduces us to Albert and is probably the book’s saddest when viewed from a contemporary standpoint.  Albert is gay, the “crime” for which he is imprisoned.  As a effeminate gay man in prison, Albert endures ceaseless indignities during his imprisonment.

Charlie is presented as a misogynistic and unrepentant serial rapist.  Charlie grows up in an extraordinarily dysfunctional family.  His mother is a prostitute who and his father an alcoholic who is dependent on his wife’s income for booze.  Charlie often witnesses his mother plying her trade which fuels his hatred of women.  Charlie denies that he has any need to relieve his sexual urges, but as the chapter concludes, we learn Charlie’s and the prison donkey share a special bond the true nature of which I will leave to the reader’s imagination.

The book concludes on a rather disturbing note with the case history of Rudy.

Though the bulk of Sex in Prison has little to do with actual prison sex, the book is a interesting trip back in time and an excellent example of the faux psychology subgenre of sleaze.

Story of O front cover

by Pauline Reage
Published in 1965 by Grove Press

I’m not much for fiction. I know lots of folks like fiction, but time spent reading about events that didn’t happen seems like time squandered to me.

Story of O is well established as a classic work of both modern literature and erotic writing. This is fine and well, but not reason enough to make me want to read it. That the book had a substantial impact on the evolving definition of obscenity in the US and represented a significant milestone in the history of erotic publishing did not sway me to put aside my aversion to fiction and read it. What piqued my interest and made me track down a copy so that I could wallow in the promised debauchery was reading feminist critiques of the book, written before true identity of the pseudonymous author was revealed, which claimed that the contents of the book were so misogynistic that the author could only be a man.

I am sure that anyone reading the site is probably familiar with the overall plot of Story of O, so I won’t rehash it here.

Because the book was originally written as a series of letters to a lover, there is a certain discontinuity to the prose, most notably at the book’s sudden and incomplete conclusion. Depsite this, Story of O is a captivating book and deservingly one of the foundational cornerstones of modern conceptions of BDSM.

Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns front cover

By Philip Miller and Molly Devon
Published in 1995 by Mystic Rose Books

A friend is often fond of telling me that he was there at the moment that inspired this book’s title.  While he is generally reliable, I don’t know that there is any way to ever verify the veracity of that claim.

Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns is often referred to as the ideal primer for anyone newly interested in exploring an interest in BDSM.  Having read this and numerous introductory BDSM texts, I can only conclude that this book is so often recommended because it has a catchy title.  Compared to all of the other BDSM primers, this is by far the worst of the lot.

While the flow of the book is consistent with others of its type, Screw the Roses is filled with cheesy photographs and even cheesier jokes.  For example, chapter 9, devoted to flogging, is titled, “Philip’s Philosophy of Phlogging Phun.”

While using lighthearted prose to put a nervous beginner at ease with BDSM seems reasonable, rather than making the BDSM seem fun (or should it be “phun”?) the bad jokes interrupt the flow and undercut the authors’ credibility.

If one can wade past the distracting jokes, there really is lots of useful information that everyone new to BDSM play would benefit from knowing, and if this is the only primer you can locate you won’t suffer from reading it.  However, if you are choosing an introductory BDSM book, you will be better served to read Learning the Ropes by Race Bannon or Consensual Sadomasochism by William A. Henkin and Sybil Holiday.

Teach Yourself Fucking front cover

by Tuli Kupferberg
Published in 2000 by Autonomedia

There are few self-instruction books are devoted to subjects which interest me.  This is particularly true of the “for Dummies” series of books.  I cannot imagine spending hard earned cash for a book that declares me a dummy.  Where does one turn if the “for Dummies” proves to be too challenging?  For Morons?  For Nincompoops?

Given a choice, I think I would much rather my mother catch me having a lurid encounter with the family dog while I was clad in a nun’s habit than have the cable guy see any “for Dummies” book on my bookshelf.  I don’t think I’m alone.

If you wonder if there is a “Sex for Dummies” book, be assured there is.  It was written by sex educator Dr. Ruth Westheimer. As of this writing, it is in its third edition.  While I am opposed to censorship, this is the one book I can make an exception for. After all, who on earth thinks it’s a good idea for dummies to fuck?  If natural selection tells us one thing, it’s that when the stupid people spawn, it is likely their offspring will be stupid too.

Contrarians might suggest that as you teach the dumdums about sex you can also teach them about contraception, but I remain skeptical that they have the faculties to understand the importance of contraception and/or practice it properly.  Nero may have played the fiddle while Rome burned, but Wiley Publishing seems to be actively fanning the flames of our society’s downfall.

What does that have to do with Teach Yourself Fucking? Not much really, despite its title, Teach Yourself Fucking is not a self-teaching aid.  Instead it is a compilation of Kupferberg’s cartoons and collages which target journalism and people in power.

For those of you not in the know, Tuli Kupferberg gained fame as a member of the proto-punk art rock band The Fugs.  He is also known for writing the classic hippie books 1001 Ways to Beat the Draft and 1001 to Live Without Working.

No one would accuse Kupferberg of being a talented illustrator, but his absurdist humor shines through his simple drawings.  The work is filled with sexual imagery and language that make it definitely inappropriate for the kids. For instance, one work captioned at the bottom with “Hero Worship” is a crude drawing of a phallus. It appears directly opposite the drawing of a vagina labeled “The Land of Mystery.”

While Kupferberg’s best work is likely behind him, Teach Yourself Fucking is entertaining collection.

Sin-A-Rama front cover

Edited by  Brittany A. Daley, Hedi El Kholti, Earl Kemp, Miriam Linna, and Adam Parfey
Published in 2005 by Feral House

Subtitled “Sleaze Sex Paperbacks of the Sixties,” the bulk of the coverage in Sin-A-Rama is concerned with the sex paperbacks published in the early to mid-1960s, before the relaxation of obscenity laws.

The first section consists essays by and about many of the people responsible for creating the sex paperback industry.  Highlights of this section include Robert Silverberg’s “My Life as a Pornographer”, Stephen Gertz’s “West Coast Blue”, and Brittany Daley’s “The Lost Artists.” Unfortunately, the essays are scattershot and fail to construct a clear narrative.

The second section consists of cover galleries divided into various themes.  The covers are wonderfully reproduced in bright colors on bright paper.

The final section of the book is a bibliography of publishers including their active years, cover artists, authors, and sample titles.  There is also a listing of  various authors and their pseudonyms.   Despite its short length, this section is the jewel of the book for paperback collectors.

As a devoted fan of sex paperbacks from the 60s, I had high expectations for Sin-A-Rama.  While I was disappointed with the first section’s lack of cohesiveness, the cover galleries and reference materials in the back make this book an indispensible reference that I will consult for years to come.