***UPDATE BELOW***
February 15, 2007 is the release date for Laura Sessions Stepp's new book Unhooked.
In her second book, journalist Stepp (Our Last Best Shot) gets an inside perspective on the "hookup," which has become the "primary currency of social interaction" between the sexes in high schools and colleges...Inspired by a series of articles she wrote on eighth-grade oral sex rings for The Washington Post in 1998 ("two years before the popularity of oral sex in middle schools percolated through the media"), Stepp avoids breathless sensationalism, preferring instead to explore the meaning of "hooking up," its fallout, potential long-range consequences for women and men, and the factors that have allowed such a shift to take place-wisely asking, "Where are young women's teachers?" rather than "What is wrong with these girls?"
Oh dear Christ. And, yes, I pre-ordered it. How can this not be worth the $16? I am going to absolutely devour this text as quickly as possible to make sure the most hilarious excerpts end up on this blog by around February 19th.
Special hat tip to the anonymous commenter who led me to this Mediabistro link.
UPDATE: Oh thank my lucky stars. She'll be speaking at Politics and Prose on February 21. That's a short walk from my house. Please leave suggestions for what I should ask her in the comments.
2.09.2007
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I do what I can for you, pal.
ReplyDeleteHow does one "lose" at sex? She must have had some bad lays.
ReplyDeleteask her what an oral sex "ring" actually is.
ReplyDeleteWow. It's so good to know that the responsibility for sexual morality still falls to women, and that the consequences of not conforming to this same sexual morality only apply to women. thanks, Laura. Every girl wants to be a victim when she grows up.
ReplyDeleteFrom the P&P event summary:
ReplyDelete"Stepp spent a year interviewing teenage girls to explore how “hooking up” has come to replace not only the “necking” of her generation, but also dating, love, and commitment."
Rusty! Rusty!
Ask her who she had to "neck" at Politics and Prose to land her book plug!
Then ask her about rumors that in high school she was a total slut and "necked" the entire football team!
Then get pictures! I'll buy you a drink if you get a picture of her necking you!
ask her if she knows where the clitoris is.
ReplyDeleteand why she's so against using hers.
i take that back; ask her if she thinks women and relationships went down the tubes when we got the right to vote.
ReplyDeletedamn that susan b. anthony
Impeach Rusty!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree ... we need a new blogger
ReplyDelete"Ms. Stepp, was it really necesary to take all of those pictures of deep-throating middle school girls for 'research'?"
ReplyDelete"How can you come down against sucking off middle school boys if you've never tried it yourself"
Rusty, ask her how a 31 year-old man might get into one of these high school oral sex rings.
ReplyDeleteSeriously.
Ms. Stepp, you have endeavored to relate the experiences of young people in much the way a documentary researcher might. As a member of the Baby Boomer generation, what authorizes you to speak for this younger group? Don't you think you might be doing harm to this cohort by denying them their own authentic voice with which to articulate their own experiences, much as your generation did in the 1960's? And, as a follow up, have you found that it is possible to regulate the levels of hypocrisy that flow from your brain to your pen, or are you completely incapable of shutting the fuck up?
ReplyDeleteI think you should invite her to some LNS event (as your date of course). That's research.
ReplyDeleteAsk her where you can get your "Oral Sex Ring". I believe a 20-man bukkake fest gets you a necklace.
ReplyDeleteAsk her if, while during her research, she learned a thing or two about sex and has it improved her own skills, like how to swallow or take it in the ass? Because it sounds like those two things might improve her writing.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'm interested to know who she thinks she's writing for.
ReplyDeleteI mean, kids today all know about hooking up, so it's not them.
When I was in college 15-20 years ago, we had hooking up, so it's not people my age.
It kind of looks like she is writing for people only her own age and older, and even in those generations, only the people who pay no attention at all to people younger than themselves. Or television.
She writes for easily alarmed parents who are in denial about their own behavior in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
ReplyDeleteor she writes for people like Mark Foley who need new jerk off material or pick up lines.
ReplyDelete