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The Naughty Bits by Jack Murnighan
Mr. Murnighan is famous for his irreverence, as well as his reverence for erotic literature. The Naughty Bits is a funny and sexy piece of erotica history and interpretation, captured from his popular column in Nerve. You may know a few authors that have (or had) erotic tendencies in their writing from time to time. However, the list is longer than you might think. Murnighan isn't trying to legitimize erotica by associating the boring old mainstream world's legendary writers with it. He's having wicked fun and providing commentary on these often forgotten excerpts from authors of many of the classics and other favorites. It's quite a range. Even if the excerpts weren't forgotten, Murnighan's insight and sense of humor will make you appreciate them in a new light.
The Naughty Bits contains tasty bits from many of the usual suspects in literature: Henry Miller, Bocaccio, James Joyce, Anais Nin, Marquis de Sade. There's also Eric Jong, John Updike, and Tom Wolfe and many others. However, are you ready for a bit from Herman Melville dealing with sexuality? Plato? Even Dante (Murnighan's favorite naughty bit)!?! How about a brief bit from the Starr report?
Murnighan offers an insightful intro to each of these several dozen short snippets. The more he searches the more he's found that sex is found in more literature than you'd expect. He claims, "The Naughty Bits is ultimately less a book of sex in literature as much a book about sex in literature. If you come looking for brief and steamy diversions, you'll find them, but if you are looking for the ecstasy, agony, absurdity and poignancy of sex, you'll find that too."
It makes us wish that Murnighan had taught a few of our college English classes. It would have made some of these "classics" more enjoyable. Reading these bits gives you insight into some of your favorite authors perhaps, or may give you additional incentive to read one of these books you've never read. If nothing else, it may give you a round of ammo to use against a stuffy fan of the writer. These works prove that they are human (some slightly twisted)! Imagine! Murnighan's notes on these excerpts are so much more fun than Cliff's.
Murnighan also discloses a unique irony in the Introduction of the book. He notes that "the accomplished sex writer... undoes the need for his or her labor in the very act of doing it. You write well about sex and your readers close the book - to move on to the real thing."
Spanning hundreds of years, and dozens of excellent and legendary writers erotic snippets, (and enhanced by Murnighan's clever intros to each) The Naughty Bits is clearly ONE OF OUR FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2001! Do these authors have the power to make you close the book and move on to the real thing? It's time to find out for yourself!
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