Radical Sex Between Men: Assembling Desiring-Machines

by Dave Holmes (Editor), Stuart J. Murray (Editor), Thomas Foth (Editor)

Bringing together theory and public health practice, this interdisciplinary collection analyses three forms of nonconventional or radical sexualities: bareback sex, BDSM practices, and public sex. Drawing together the latest empirical research from Brazil, Canada, Spain, and the USA, it mobilizes queer theory and poststructuralism, engaging the work of theorists such as Bataille, Butler, Deleuze and Guattari, and Foucault, among others. While the collection contributes to current research in gender and sexuality studies, it does so distinctly in the context of empirical investigations and discourses on critical public health. Radical Sex Between Men: Assembling Desiring-Machines will be of interest to advanced undergraduate students, postgraduate students, and researchers in gender and sexuality studies, sexology, social work, anthropology, and sociology, as well as practitioners in nursing, medicine, allied health professions, and psychology.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2017

Reviews

[Gerhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think that Deleuze and Guattari just wrote about rhizomes, think again. This collection of academic essays is a superb interpretation of their concept of desiring-machines and assemblages, which are temporary connections that produce a recognisable behaviour or effect. The connections that make up an assemblage are known as 'lines', such as a line of flight. The applicability of this theory to everything from BDSM to glory holes, Grindr, and Brazilian masculinity is fascinating and revealing. Highly readable and engaging for anyone interested in queer theory or gay men's health issues post-Prep.

[C. B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm quite surprised at myself that I began reading a book with a Deleuzian concept in the title, given I know little to nothing about the theory of Deleuze and Guattari, but I was glad to find that this background wasn't necessary to grapple with the overarching arguments of the articles. As ever with these types of books, the quality is astoundingly variable. I mean, some don't even seem to relate to the theme of the collection. This is redeemed by some marvellous articles, like the second one by Tim Dean. Concerned directly with bareback/raw sex subcultures and their relationship to PrEP, Dean spreads his wings to illuminate deficiencies in writings about sex from both medical and queer theory perspectives. For him, they rarely consider and the role of fantasy in sexual desire. He says, in a delightfully prolix way, that queer theory is sometimes uncomfortable "in confronting the libidinal investments of those constituencies the discipline ostensibly represents." (p. 42). I'm not well-versed in queer theory, so I can't comment on this critical aspect of what Dean is saying, but the essay exemplified how illuminating it is to consider how particular varieties of sex are talked about and understood by those who do them.

I also loved all the articles led by Dave Holmes which utilise interviews with people in BDSM and group sex subcultures. I found the fist fucking stuff particularly fascinating, as I had no idea there's a unique form of ecstatic physical pleasure associated with it: "But certainly fisting is the most amazing experience in the universe. I mean, it's just incredible"; "Once you've had the fist pop in... it's like, 'Oh my God, this thing's never coming out and I'm going to die here or he's going to rip me to shreds.' But once you get used to it, it's a feeling like, unlike anything else, any other sexual experience." (pp. 126-9).

The book was worthwhile for these moments, but I'm still a bit unclear about the appeal or use of Deleuzian theory... I'll remain open-minded!