The Th BY Boa WOLFF A Mind of Its Own: A cultural History of the Penis David M. Friedman The Free Press I Simon & Schuster, 306 pages Isau: o-734-35320-5 avid Freidman has not only Dwritten the lark I expected when I picked up A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis. He has packed the pages with history and insights on the influence of a man’s most prized organ‘ and many other forces that drive civilization. Friedman starts with the devil of early Christianity and moves through da Vinci to Freud to feminism and beyond His is an often humorous biography of the very idea and symbol- ism of this body part. _Thanks to his research we learn how the people of different eras considered the organ; the role it played in politics, literature and art. Early Christians made the i n ki n g penis into the “demon rod,” writes Friedman, and he shows us how ancient Egyptians and Greeks idealized the organ, making it the symbol of power, energy, companionship, and plenty. Negative to Christians, erections intrigued Romans. Freud may have focused on the penis too much for the good of his own young science and art. Friedman and Freud fall into the same trap — looking at the penis mostly from a heterosexual male view- point. What if Freud had considered the loss men feel not having a vagina? What if Friedman considered women’s viewpoints on the penis other than as something ‘missing’ that they can obtain only by allowing a man to do something very much akin to possess- ing them? It should have been if) sur- prise Friedman doesn’t consider the meaning of the penis to gay men, but the gay point of view seems so essen- tially prick-centered that its omission is shocking. He also misses an opportuni- ty to cover the essential connection between the joy of sex for men, some Man’s of their partners, and what may be the most damaging infection to humankind since the middle ages. While there are gaps in Friedman’s exhaustive study, it is a solid, instructive read. As Friedman introduces us to sexual dynamics dur- ing the eras of slavery and post-slavery in the United States, we are told the importance of the penis as the Jim Crow laws were upheld in the South. When lynched, African-American men were castrated by Caucasian KKK men in front of a crowd to keep Black men in their place. Another interesting polit- ical thread of Friedman’s story con- cerns the Clarence Thomas saga as a latter-day reflection of that earlier era Friedman explains why the penis is shaped as it is, why so many sperm are ejaculated, what scientists believe about Human Sperm Competition, and the medicalized penis — medicine offering opportunities to those involved with penises to have them behave more as they wish. For politically minded gay men the book will interest and‘ at the book reviews‘ Tool same time frustrate and may anger. Gay men are missing from this cultural his- tory except for peeks into the life of Leonardo da Vinci. One could ask — will the next 21st century penis histori- an not only include the thoughts and feelings of gay men, but consider the effects on society, in the 1980s as AIDS made their prized possession a poten- tially deadly weapon? We certainly can wonder why a book copyrighted almost 30 years afier AIDS emerged discusses Viagra and penile implants but avoids the psychological and other health issues of AIDS. We could also ask why the lesbian viewpoint on penises is missing fl’om this book — afier all, it is called a cultural history of the penis. But then, for those whose vision is lim- ited to the straight and narrow, we are missing from the culture, aren’t we? V Bob Wolf)" is a theatrical acoustic design consultant who lives in Randolph. SEX and SELF-HELP Bv Scorr SHERMAN The Big Bang: Nerve’s Guide to the New Sexual Universe by the writers of Nerve Plume Publishing. 258 p. ISBN: 0452284260 I Vlfl Survive - and So Vlfil You Tammy Faye Messner Jeremy Tarcher, 240 p. ISBN: 1585422428 This month we look at two self- help books, The Big Bang: Nerve s Guide to the New Sexual Universe, and I Will Survive and You Will Too, Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner’s new tome. Although you would think these two books couldn’t be more unrelated, there is a thread that ties them together: Nerve’s book is all about screwing, while Tammy Faye’s is all about getting screwed. First, The Big Bang. Nerve is a popular website devoted to sex and sexuality, and this is their first printed book. Nerve’s experience in the area shows: The Big Bang is fun, smart and _ educational. lt’s this generation’s The Joy of Sex, only not judgmental and creepy. There are one-liners through- out the book that give you a sense of its irreverent, intelligent approach to sex edu- cation. “Fellating is fun but it’s hard worlq alter twenty minutes, it’s just hard work” ‘The male g-spot is Mother Nature’s reward for guys who open themselves up to a litfle anal action.” “The vagina is a lot like the revamped VW Bug: There’s a lot more room in there than you’d think” The Big Bang teaches you not only how to navigate the main high- way of intercourse, but all the side roads as well. There’s extensive cover- age of topics such as manual stimula- tion, oral and anal sex, and bondage. You know a book is comprehensive when fisting and female ejaculation each gets its own chapter! There’s also a lot of-good health information cover- lng sexually transmitted diseases and genital self-care. You also get helpful sidebars on a variety of interesting trivia. Looking for how to make oral sex bet- ter for your partner? “Flavor Savers” lists food that “may affect the way both men and women taste and smell down there, for better or worse.” “Off to. the Side" teaches us that “Arousal is fabu- lous for anal relaxation, so don’t leave the foreplay at home. But once you’re in the process of ‘moving in,’ lay off the body’s other major hot zones — tweaking a nipple, tickling a clit, or caressing a penis can cause inopportune sphincter contractions. Once you’re in, however, everything’s free game again.” Although it’s mainly directed at straights, The Big Bang goes out of its way to be gay-lriendly. Even the photos (which range from PG 13 to R ratings) feature a variety of same-sex couples (as well a sprinkling of friend- ly-looking three-ways). But since bod- ies come in only so many configura- tions, even the most hetero-directed advice will probably work for you, too. This book is the Olympic pool of sex: whether you’re looking to learn the basics of the breaststroke, or the intrica- cies of advanced swimming, The Big Bang makes it easy to dive right in. Unlike The Big Bang, the former Tammy Faye Bakker’s book is a mess, and not a particularly fiin one either. While it does feature some enjoyable carnpiness, it’s mostly morose and unfortunate. The title I Will Survive and You Will Too sounds inspiring, but unless you’re looking for someone to whom you can feel superi- or, it would be hard to describe this book as uplifiing. Early on, Tammy Faye sig- nals that she doesn’t harbor any bitter- ness towards her famously bad past, saying that you can’t drive forward with your eye on the rear view mirror (or something like that, I can’t bear to look to look it up), but every other chapter has her harkening back to the wrongs she felt were done her. So, while she starts by sounding very above-it-all, she’s soon reminding us of “the unimaginable deceit and lies and plotting of people we thought were our friends.” There are all kinds of bizarrenesses in this book, and they’re completely random. Mixed in with recriminations and blaming, there are chapters where Tammy Faye morphs into a demented Martha Stewart. “To make your own jewelry,” one chapter begins, “all you need is some old jewel- ry or clip earring backs and some E6000 glue — it glues anything to any- thing!” “I took those new one-dollar coins and made the most beautiful ear- rings,” Tarnmy Faye enthuses. “I glued them to clip-on backs because they are a little heavy. I also made a matching ring.” As lovely as that sounds, it pales next to the beauty of Tammy Faye’s poetry. “I feel good about my dogs; they don’t care/It’s not what I look like, it’s that I am there. They don’t judge me, they don’t make fun/They never hurt my feelings or make me want to run/Away where it doesn’t matter anymore/If I do or don’t go to the makeup store.” If you’re wondering how Tammy Faye became a gay icon, this book might not provide the answer. The good news is that Tammy Faye looks like a million bucks on the cover. And the big diamond ring on her hand is probably not of her mak- ing. V Scott Sherman lives and writes in Richmond when hes not jetting around the country for his real job. You are Invited to Our SEPTEMBER CO-EXHIBITION "Untamed Elements" / raj’ Dancing Heron prints by ROD IVlaclVER and Nunome Zogan jewelry by NAIVIU CHO Offering the collections of Contemporary Jewelry artists. GFIANNIS GALLERY ‘ Fme gal?) Church St. & Bank - 660-2032 M-Th 8: Sat 30-6 0 Fri 10-8 OPEN SUNDAY 12-5