Nerve: Literate Smut

by Genevieve Field (Editor), Rufus Griscom (Editor)

New York magazine called Nerve "the Web's most intelligent forum for erotica." Now, from the creators of Nerve.com comes an original collection of sexual fiction and nonfiction from some of today's best writers.

Since its online debut in 1997, Nerve has been publishing brazen, titillating,  and intelligent prose and photography. Literate Smut highlights some of the webzine's most acclaimed stories and essays by writers such as Norman Mailer, Sallie Tisdale, Rick Moody, Thom Jones, and Dr. Joycelyn Elders, as well as striking photographs by Andres Serrano, Richard Kern, Sylvia Plachy, and others. Nerve's founders frame the texts and photos with original and revealing essays on the many sides of sex--from shame and habits to taboos, debauchery, and, of course, love.  This volume demonstrates why Nerve is more than the latest web phenomenon--it's a bold new sexual sensibility and a precocious force in American culture.

Genres: Erotica, Essays, Sexuality, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Genevieve Field is a journalist. She co-founded Nerve.com and is a senior editor at Glamour.

Reviews

[molly]

No experience is unique

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging, effectively non-pornographic set of stories and essays about sex and many related subjects (gender, eroticism, sex work, pornography, shame, and love being a few). Accessible, genuine and literary, I appreciated the candor of the many authors, who vary tremendously in their orientations, experiences and attitudes toward sex. Would be four stars if it were only a larger or more focused collection; many essays were brilliant but frustratingly short. I was not a reader of Nerve before and probably won't be now. Still, I'd recommend this to an adventurous reader with a pinch of salt, especially because I know no other collection like it.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some surpisingly schwingy AND intelligent stuff in here---definitely worth the read.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly whiny and straight.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, yet another sex book. I really enjoyed this one. Good essays, stories, interviews and photographs. Didn't read much in the last section, though - couldn't keep my interest.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading in order to get my groove back. And also, to clear off my bookshelf. I'm sick of moving these books from apt. to apt. They're heavy!

[HeavyReader]

Since I have this on my "did not read it all" shelf, I presume I read some of it. However, I don't remember a thing about it. I guess what I did read didn't impress me very much.