tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805621329335789529.post1880820152255884797..comments2022-12-11T10:16:49.501-05:00Comments on This Journey Without a Map: A Call for Help: A History of Sexuality for Romance Writers E.E. Ottomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18141599237300922369noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805621329335789529.post-59389768706839275142013-02-27T15:40:22.423-05:002013-02-27T15:40:22.423-05:00I think just putting things out there and letting ...I think just putting things out there and letting the reader figure it out is a very brave approach but probably the one I as a reader would most prefer. I've done that a couple times in stories with quasi-historical settings. I've gotten comments though including from professional reviewers who criticized the pieces as being confusing in that the male affection I portrayed didn't conform to what they were expecting. So I don't know. <br /><br />Good points though :~)E.E. Ottomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18141599237300922369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805621329335789529.post-273787058340471142013-02-27T09:51:38.686-05:002013-02-27T09:51:38.686-05:00This probably isn't of any help at all, but I ...This probably isn't of any help at all, but I thought I'd just share my two penneth worth. (BTW, it's Nikki from LJ, but the site can't apparently verify my LJ details *wry grin*)<br /><br />1. Given how attitudes differed so much in the past concerning same sex relationships and how homosexuality (well certainly an aspect of it) was actually illegal and how far little was openly spoken about I view sexuality in the past as essentially different from how it is today.<br /><br />2. I've been writing late m/m Victorian fiction (for two pairings) recently and I have to say I don't cater to the reader, insofar as I don't spell things out for them. I treat them as adult & intelligent. Occasionally for one pairing I will mention in passing the illegal nature of it, but that's mainly because said pairing are involved in another illegal activity as well so it can often go hand in hand.<br /><br />Other than that, I don't explain or detail anything - I don't expect writers to do that for me, so I don't do it for other people. I assume (maybe naively) that if someone doesn't understand something they'll look it up - just as I do. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805621329335789529.post-47538632058790698322013-02-26T11:45:01.687-05:002013-02-26T11:45:01.687-05:00sexuality and same sex desire in Medieval China is...sexuality and same sex desire in Medieval China is fascinating to me as well. One of my favorite topics. Thanks so much! and yeah for the Ravelry friend!E.E. Ottomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18141599237300922369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805621329335789529.post-70833873457360989562013-02-26T09:14:56.618-05:002013-02-26T09:14:56.618-05:00Forgot to say too, that there's a wealth of be...Forgot to say too, that there's a wealth of beautiful GBLT love poetry from China and from Persia as well. <br /><br />And totally unrelated to this, I just friended you on Ravelry. I love Ravelry. XDL. J. LaBarthehttp://misslj_author.livejournal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3805621329335789529.post-32526563058692831282013-02-26T09:12:39.705-05:002013-02-26T09:12:39.705-05:00For me, the most important thing is how attitudes ...For me, the most important thing is how attitudes differed between countries/empires in a certain period. In my quest to figure out what was what and where in the mid-12th century, my first port of call was the inestimable Paul Halsall and his tremendous Internet History Project. The section on GLBT history is *huge* (http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/pwh/index.asp) and there's also full bibliographies which are enormously helpful.<br /><br />My second port of call is http://www.academia.edu/ which is like a Facebook for academics and has a huge wealth of information and academic papers on just about anything you can think of. <br /><br />I also find Etymology Online very useful, eg., the page on the word 'gay' http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=gay&searchmode=none and the one on 'homosexual' http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=homosexual&searchmode=none<br /><br />While writing "City of Jade," what I found interesting was the clear difference in attitudes between Byzantium and the Southern Song Dynasty - in Byzantium, gay relationships were a big no-no, despite Byzantium's lean towards a Greek identity rather than Roman. In the Southern Song, it wasn't a big deal, and the term 'fentao/fen-tao' was used quite frequently to describe same sex relationships. It's fascinating to me to see how the openness deteriorated as Western attitudes insinuated on China, particularly towards the end of the Qing Dynasty and during the Manchu rule. L. J. LaBarthehttp://misslj_author.livejournal.comnoreply@blogger.com