I decided to blog something a little different this time. Where most people download music, I tend to seek out and download books, preferably public domain stuff. I don’t profess to be an expert at what’s out there on the web; I can, however, point out what I’ve found.
An online copy of My Secret Life, the neverending smut attributed to Henry Spencer Ashbee. I’m reading it chapter by chapter as time and interest permits (and however my tolerance for repetitive smut words allows), saving each page and porting it over to an ebook format for my own use.
I’m doing the same for various Project Gutenberg selections that have caught my eye. Alphabetically:
Richard Burton‘s Book Of The Thousand Nights And A Night and Thomas Wright’s biography of the man.
Balzac‘s Scenes from a Courtesan’s Life. (I suppose I should download Keim’s biography of the man and Floyd’s observations as well.)
Frank Harris’ biography of Oscar Wilde. (Although Harris’ biographical were so slanted that at least one of his subjects openly rebelled at his portrayals of them — Geogre Bernard Shaw.)
Rabelais. (Hey, he and Balzac were noted in The Music Man’s blue nose/tight ass song Pick-Alittle, Peck-Alittle as objectionable. Good enough for me.)
George Sand/Gustave Flaubert‘s letters.
I’m sure there’s other selections out there and although much of yesteryear’s erotic content can’t match today’s for explicitness, it’s part of the canon. Especially if it was ever banned by someone somewhere.
Another site I’m enjoying: Fetish Cats, not just for its reproductions of vintage illustrations but because its creator knows the bibliographic arts far, far better than I do. A wonderful resource that I hope will grow in time.
So that’s my meanderings, such as they are. At least they’re a nice break from headlines!
