Sexual Personae: Art & Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (Vintage) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Its more than that. It is an examination, a critique, a tour through Western culture from the perspective of a unique and startling confrontational woman. Her Appolonian=male, Dionysian=female argument might be just as a whacked as the Gloria Steinem inner child but it is still largely believed that structure=male, nature=female (just that nature is good and wholesome while structure is "patriarchal") and her love of everything patriarchal is knid of scary if patriarchal had actual meaning than what feminists call things that they don't like.

In this book you will see Emily Dickinson described as the female Sade, read Paglia's burning hatred for Mark Twain (she admits to hating Huckleberry Finn so much that one of the things to do when she went to grad school was to write a paper tearing that book apart), watch Paglia tear the matriarchy apart (look at the pregnant statue - no face, no legs, just pregnant - does that look like a life affirming goddess figure to you or a woman with one function only?), and get disturbed by her theories of culture (all cultures at their height of power and art are primarily pedophiliac)

It's a dense book and one that cannot be read in one sitting. YOu might even have to put it on the shelf and come back to it later, but like the teacher who loves her subject, Paglia will keep you interested. You will never look at Western art the same way again.

Oh one last thing on the feminist issue. Most feminists are Jungian in their outlook. They talk about feminine aspects and masculine aspects in the terms that Jung proposes. Paglia is a Freudian. MOst people consider Freud was a sexist even though he never said anything about anything being naturally feminine or masculine (penis envy being a type of hysteria like the Oedipal complex - possible and not altogether improbable but not normal everyday behavior) but that's because most people don't read Freud because he scares them before they can open up a Freudian text. So if you are feminist who thinks that your cherished ideas will not be confirmed by this book, run away. Let it rest on the shelf. Unless you have the courage to be challenged. Then read some Freud too and see what you've been missing.

If there are any faults that would render it unworthy of a perfect five star rating, I wouldn't go with the feeling of being exhausted by her erudition or polemic style. Even the cultural narcissism- obviously coming out of her Rolling Stones/Woodstock days of youth, which bleeds through her education- is forgiveable. Her only major fault I would say is what could best be called "Afro-phobia", and her avoidance of the African influence on Western culture, and its many sophisticated artistic and sexual/religious mores made manifest through the ages in not just 20th Century America.

Nonetheless, if you are even remotely fascinated by the subject matter- or any one of the God knows how many subjects, from sex to politics, it touches on while she proves her central thesis, you will immensely enjoy this book.

If your interest goes beyond that, you may find yourself as I have, ready to change the shape and the direction of your career.

Either way, you cannot look at the soul of art, artists and writers the same afterwards.