Column: Sex in CINcity

As every quarter draws to an end - especially spring quarter - I find myself desperately longing for the delicious nothingness I'll be doing as soon as the schoolwork is finally over. Hopefully, we'll all soon have time to lie around doing heaps of nothing.

One of my favorite "doin nuthin" activities is reading. In the hopes that some of you share this habit, I want to dedicate my last column to some helpful books I've read or plan to read (or re-read).

The book that turned me onto the path I now wander down may not be the best on the topic, but it still holds a special place in my life. I found a copy of the 1982 edition of Sex in History by Reay Tannahill at a used book sale when I was about 15. I read the book several times before moving on in human sexuality studies.

I think it laid a good foundation. From a Western historian's perspective, it covers what was known at the time about human sexuality from the prehistoric world all the way up to 1980.

Over the years, from talking with people who study human sexuality from a liberal arts perspective, one book keeps coming up as a cause of paradigm shifts in thought on sexuality: the three-part History of Sexuality by Michel Foucault.

The series includes, An Introduction, which is about historical influences on our modern interpretation of sexuality. The Use of Pleasure looks into why sexuality has become "morally problematic." The Care of Self delves into issues around the care of self for the self's own sake.

Another great history book is Becoming Visible by Molly McGarry. I first read it in a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender class in 2000, and it blew us all away to learn there was a queer history somewhere between ancient Rome and the Stonewall Riots. I've heard many a person of many a sexual orientation say they loved this book because it presented the history well without being too "textbook-y."

While far-reaching history books have proven helpful for me, I most enjoy reading personal histories. In this vein, one book that opened my eyes to transgender issues is Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg. Feinberg has written many outstanding books, but none hit me harder than this one. This novel covers the perilous journey through gender of its main character, Jess Goldberg.

A non-fictional but personal history can be found in The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service by Laura Kaplan. An element I find often missing in modern debates around abortion is what happens when the service is illegal. The Story of Jane chronicles what happened in Chicago before it was legal in the United States.

Since the anti-abortion movement has been slowly moving towards an anti-contraception stance, a reminder of what life was like without access to contraception is an interesting read.

Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America by Andrea Tone provided me with this point of view during a history course many years ago.

Contraception: A History by Robert Jütte has been recently recommended to me for a similar perspective. Each book reminds me that even when access to effective contraception is not legally sanctioned, people find ways of sharing the knowledge they need (though often at great social and individual cost).

On a much lighter note, I feel I would be remiss if I didn't drop some tips on finding good "how to" books. The San Francisco-based store Good Vibrations has a wide variety of excellent, sex-positive books of all sorts - from tips 'n' tricks, to erotica, to tantra. They even have a "$15 or Less" section, perfect for the student budget. Check out goodvibes.com for their online catalog and a host of free information in their Culture and Sex Ed sections.

Happy reading!