“Hysterical Literature”

In the August issue of Vanity Fair, Toni Bentley visits Clayton Cubitt’s studio and things get ~sexy~

Why would I do this? Why wouldn’t I do it. “Hysterical Literature” combines my two great, overriding passions — sex and literature. The series juxtaposes the realm of words literally atop the realm of the erotic: each, as it were, finally in true congress with the other. Who would win the inevitable war? Upper body or lower? Logic or lust? Prefrontal cortex or hypothalamus? Or, perhaps, they might actually meld together, literature and sex, Madonna and Whore — for this is the core dichotomy of Cubitt’s experiment — fused as never before. Each video provides a literate, and literal, clitoral monologue that renders the Vagina Monologues merely aspirational. For a woman who has eroticized her immutable shame, “Hysterical Literature” offers both public apotheosis and poetic coalescence — with a strong exhibitionism-voyeurism folie à deux chaser. This was a ride right up my street — though it proved to be more like merging on the Autobahn during rush hour.

“Hysterical Literature” is a project founded in 2012 by Cubitt. A woman — there have been ten so far — sits in a dark studio and reads a book of her choice, hands where we can see them, until she comes. The idea is to challenge the two competing impulses in your brain: mind over masturbatory matter.

Bentley bravely volunteers as a subject and finds out the mechanics of the project. I had seen these videos before and never really given much thought to the how or why the women orgasmed. I just liked the idea of an orgasm appearing as if from nowhere. “Pay no attention to the Hitachi Magic Wand behind the curtain,” etc. The answer is both totally expected and kind of surprising! Read the whole thing here.