The Home for the Literarily Bent
Fake psychologists
Sex In Prison
Dec 8th
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.
The Gang Bangers
Aug 1st
The Gang Bangers front cover
by Sean Greene
Published in 1968 by Ram Classics
I’m at a loss to describe this book – this may well be the most disturbing thing I’ve ever read. It isn’t without its merits I suppose, but frankly I would hope that no one would seek out this book.
While The Gang Bangers promises an expose of devotees of “multiple sex,” instead it delivers a sickening stream of rape, incest, and pedophilia. Like so many other books of this ilk, “The Gang Bangers” recounts the therapy sessions of our narrator as he counsels a family of “deviates.” Usually the label “deviate” seems more comical than anything else. That’s not the case here.
This tale begins with an introduction to Barbara, the daughter. One by one we meet the son, the mother, and the father. While the descriptions of their early sexual experiences are designed to titillate, the non-stop stream of what we now recognize as child molestation is anything but erotic. This lurid tale reaches its apex when Mary, one of the family’s counselors, lets go of her professionalism and succumbs to her own carnal desires.
One of the few interesting moments in this book is when we meet the father. We read about his earliest sexual experiences which consist of incest and rape. Just as we think we’ve reached the sickening depth of human perversion, we learn the father has an even more shocking sexual secret – brace yourself for it – the father has had homosexual relations.
This book is a vivid reminder of how much society’s attitudes about child sexual abuse and homosexuality have changed since the 60s. It is difficult to reconcile how Greene can describe child sexual abuse in a matter of fact tone while reacting to the revelation of the father’s homosexual experiences with scorn: “The faggot father – the deviated daddy…” It was enough to make me cringe with nervous laughter.
Tacked onto the end of the preceeding family’s story is a short tale that has nothing to do with the preceeding storyline and isn’t enough to redeem the book. Were we simply presented with the three meat market women and their encounter with the butcher, this scene might have had erotic possibility (Let me just add if you’re going to do that with a sausage, for the love of God, have enough sense to use a condom.). Unfortunately, rather than simply presenting the tale of the erotic shenanigans of the meat market, Greene found it necessary to give us case histories of the three women and we are “treated” to more descriptions of rape and abuse.
The Sexual Fetish in Today’s Society
Jul 13th
The Sexual Fetish in Today’s Society front cover
by Hugh Jones
Published in 1965 by Brandon House
This early representative of the pseudo-sociological exposé is a tough one to review for a couple of reasons. First, unlike many books of this genre that followed, this book does a fairly good job of selling the notion that it is reporting the unvarnished truth. Second, it somehow manages to straddle the imaginary exploitation line of simultaneously condemning and glamorizing the people it mentions.
The first clue that the “facts” we’re about to be introduced to may not be on the up and up, is that the foreword was penned by the imminent pseudo-psychiatrist Dr. Leathem. The appearance of a byline featuring the extraordinarily prolific Dr. Leathem is fair warning that you’re leaving the hallowed halls of the academia to peer through the glory hole in the men’s room stall.
Jones begins by explaining what a fetish is. Surprisingly, rather than suggest that having a fetish is in and of itself clear evidence that one is pathological, Jones takes the position (notably progressive for its time) that a having a fetish may or may not require psychiatric intervention.
Each chapter is devoted to a particular fetish and the book is devoted to the most common fetishes. Oddly, even though this book covers 15 or so fetish categories it is notably thin on lurid details, kinky or otherwise.
The standout chapter in this one is the one devoted to a tight jeans fetish. I’ve read about lots of fetishes (including some that make even me – and likely Jones too if he were familiar with them – cringe) and have never encountered a fetish for tight pants. Don’t get me wrong, there’s likely no bigger booster of hip huggers worn on the right hips than myself, I just never contemplated them as fetish wear per se.
That isn’t why I found this chapter so interesting though. Rather what made it fun to read was that rather than relay accounts from the perspective of a man that enjoyed tight pants, Jones wrote this chapter from the perspective of girls who enjoy the attention they get as a result of wearing them. As the story goes, a certain manufacturer sends out samples of the newest styles to select clubs of girls around the country. The girls then sit around and discuss the merits of the pants and report their thoughts back to the manufacturer. I suspect that the dynamic was supposed to mimic Beatles fan clubs and the like. It’s priceless at any rate.
At the end of the book, Jones includes a selected bibliography that lists most of the famous psychological books about fetishes. This was a nice touch that helps sell the notion that the book is reporting the facts. Unfortunately, I’m still not buying it.
Given the year when this book was published, it’s not too surprising that the book plays coy. Publishers had to be careful to keep their material above board lest they face jail time. Still, this book plays it too safe and fails to either educate or titillate.
If you want vivid, heart pounding erotica, this is not the book for you. But as an early time capsule of erotica disguised as educational material, The Sexual Fetish in Today’s Society is a winner.
The Bisexuals
Jul 9th
The Bisexuals front cover
by George Bishop
Published in 1964 by Century Books
As I read The Bisexuals my depraved thoughts returned obsessively to one thing: typesetting. Why typesetting? Because The Bisexuals is so riddled with typesetting errors that I sometimes wished for a “Rosetta Stone” to help decipher it.
I debated rearranging this review so that it would be as poorly presented as some passages in the book. But since I’m the only one who would get the joke and no one else would realize the errors were intentional, I decided to spare everyone the torment that I suffered through in trying to decipher this book – there are limits to my sadistic streak.
Were this book printed overseas, I could have excused the typesetter on the theory that English wasn’t his native language. Unfortunately, in what is likely the only valid claim in the whole book, the title page says that the book was printed in the USA – shooting in the foot the notion that Americans used to take pride in their work.
Claiming to be “actual sex case histories collected by … the Western Adult Institute in its nationwide study on Sexual Incompatibility,” The Bisexuals crudely attempts to trace bisexuality through time and apply a “scientific” psychoanalytic approach to bisexual “deviation.” But beware, this book is to scientific inquiry what alchemy is to chemistry.
Still, there are a few good things about this book that kept me reading. For one, the prose flows easily and provides the requisite amount of salacious detail.
The chapter devoted to the Succubus was particularly interesting. Whether the tale of Carmen d’Angelo is historically true, I don’t know (a fast internet search turned up nothing), but the image of a repressed young man taking refuge in a cave and tying a leather thong to his cock to keep his sexual urges at bay was quite an entertaining yarn either way. Also interesting is the crime spree of Marcel Bonaventure (again, searching the internet turned up nothing). This passage proved un-arousing, but interesting all the same.
My favorite passage in the book is this quote credited to E. Burns Clarke (another likely fictitious source):
“An extreme form of this perversion (bisexuality) Burns Clarke continues, “is found when the woman watches a man have sexual intercourse with another woman and then, immediately following the orgasm, rushes to orally embrace his partially erect member, thus, in effect, performing the lesbian and heterosexual functions simultaneously by vicariously making love to the woman as well…”
How this man anticipated my fantasies several years before I was born, I don’t know. That he characterizes them as “an extreme form of this perversion” only serves to warm my little twisted heart.
Other highlights (or lowlights depending on your perspective) include bestiality, finger fetishism, and others.
Even though this book suffered from its poor printing quality and is an obvious work of fiction, I still enjoyed it and you may too.
Confessions of a Pervert
Jul 5th
Confessions of a Pervert front cover
by Sadie Cousins, Ph.D. with Hugh Jones, introduction by Harvey T. Leathem, M.D.
published in 1968 by Classic Publications
This twisted tale claims three authors, but was in fact written by solely by Jones. The other two are his pseudonyms (see an excerpt from the Feral House book Sin-a-rama at http://feralhouse.com/press/sin-a-rama/excerpts/sin-a-rama–westcost.pdf, look for page 4 of the pdf, page 33 in the book).
“Confessions of a Pervert” follows the tormented perverted architect, Sam, as he receives treatment from Dr. Cousins. We begin with the introduction by Dr. Leathem. Unable to provide Sam treatment for his multiple sexual preoccupations, Dr. Leathem refers Sam to Dr. Cousins for intense psychoanalysis. Dr. Leathem warns the reader that while the treatment methods employed by Dr. Cousins seem extreme, the unedited tale is too important to censor. We are, after all, interested in the ever forward march of social science.
As Sam’s first session with Dr. Cousins begins, he confesses that he has the piles (hemorrhoids) which he claims they are not the solely the result of his homosexual relationships but are also aggravated by his long hours sitting at a desk. She demands that he disrobe so she can inspect them and then fingers his anus until he comes just to put Sam at ease. Sam begins to relate that his job takes him to various cities and he has a different “kinky sexuality” for each. In Los Angeles, Sam explores his homosexuality. He further confesses that his interest in anal sex is strictly limited to men.
Dr. Cousins recommends a radical experiment to observe Sam’s analism first hand. Following the doctor’s instructions, Sam disrobes and goes into an adjoining room to have an encounter with a fellow patient who is lying in the other room. Sam discovers the mystery patient completely covered by a sheet excepting a shapely ass sticking out proudly. Sam has a “fanny screw” with the mystery patient and afterwards while talking with Dr. Cousins he learns the truth about his encounter: it was Dr. Cousins herself under the sheet.
Before his first session concludes, Dr. Cousins brings Sam to yet another orgasm and he declares himself cured of his inverted sexuality. Unfortunately, this is only the first of Sam’s six perversions and he has several more to tend to.
Eventually, Dr. Cousins’ assistant Carol enters the picture as she assists the good doctor in Sam’s treatment. Sam views Carol as little more than the trash with the abusive motorcycle riding boyfriend. Likewise Carol views Sam with an equal contempt. During the course of their interactions, their view of each other changes.
If it all sounds convoluted, it is, but I won’t spoil the twists and turns for you. This is such an exaggerated farce that one wonders how it could have ever been presented as a real case history. Still, if you can forgive the book’s excesses, it’s an entertaining fast paced read.