Camille Paglia's 'Sexual Personae' Released in French, Discusses Art, Sex, and Dissidence
Camille Paglia's influential 1990 book 'Sexual Personae' has been translated into French as 'Introduction à Personas sexuelles' by Hermann, priced at 20 euros. In an interview with Sarah Chiche for artpress, Paglia reflects on her libertarian views on pornography, prostitution, and artistic censorship, which have drawn both criticism and admiration. She discusses the cyclic nature of puritanism in feminism, noting a resurgence of moralistic attitudes similar to the 1970s, and cites influences from Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, Freud, and the Marquis de Sade. Paglia recounts her early exposure to European art through books from France, her experiences at Yale Graduate School in 1968, and her pro-sex feminist stance against figures like Gloria Steinem, Catherine MacKinnon, and Andrea Dworkin. She describes her writing as a 'transgender construction' and emphasizes the role of nature in sexuality, arguing that sex is rooted in primal instincts and power dynamics. Paglia also expresses concern about the spread of feminist moralism to France, once a center of enlightened views on art and sex.
Key facts
- Camille Paglia's book 'Sexual Personae' was published in 1990 and has been translated into French as 'Introduction à Personas sexuelles'.
- The French translation is published by Hermann, 160 pages, costing 20 euros.
- Paglia is a professor of Philosophy at the University of Philadelphia.
- She cites influences from Nietzsche, Simone de Beauvoir, Freud, and the Marquis de Sade.
- Paglia discusses the cyclic return of puritanism in feminism, comparing current trends to the 1970s.
- She mentions early exposure to art through books like 'Art Treasures of the Louvre' and a portfolio from the School of Fontainebleau.
- Paglia describes her writing voice as a 'transgender construction' and references Walter Pater and Oscar Wilde.
- She argues that sexuality is driven by nature and involves inherent power dynamics, with homosexuality as natural.
Entities
Artists
- Camille Paglia
- Sarah Chiche
- Balthus
- Waterhouse
- Nietzsche
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Freud
- Marquis de Sade
- Vico
- Sylvia Kristel
- Jeanne Moreau
- Delphine Seyrig
- Catherine Deneuve
- Stephane Audran
- Doris Day
- Debbie Reynolds
- Kate Millett
- Gloria Steinem
- Catherine MacKinnon
- Andrea Dworkin
- Madonna
- Susan Faludi
- Naomi Wolf
- Marguerite Yourcenar
- Oscar Wilde
- Baudelaire
- Gautier
- Verlaine
- Gide
- Sartre
- Genet
- Walter Pater
- Barthes
- Leonardo
- Sabina Spielrein
- Goujon
Institutions
- artpress
- Hermann
- University of Philadelphia
- Yale Graduate School
- Sak's Fifth Avenue
- Sorbonne
- U.S. government
- French Academy
Locations
- France
- Philadelphia
- New York
- Bangkok
- Switzerland
- Zurich
- Paris
- Upstate New York
- Oxford
- Babylon
- Rome
Sources
- artpress —