While this may not be remarkable to people of more sexually-liberal societies, here it is quite a step, especially for women who were previously ridiculed and shamed for thinking sexual thoughts much less writing about them. In the past few years, however, and with the courageous steps forward of a handful of pioneers, women's erotica has grown by leaps and bounds. A visit to most bookstores across the nation will provide you with a varied and interesting selection of erotic literature by women for women.
There are numerous compilations of women's erotic fiction such as the Herotica collections as well as the annual Best American Erotic books. Many magazines also offer sexual fiction: Penthouse, On Our Backs, and Playgirl to name just a few. It doesn't' t stop there, however. Both women and men now teach erotic writing classes throughout the country. Other women have founded publishing companies devoted to erotica.
The novels, anthologies, and other publications featuring erotic literature are a joy to peruse when I stop to think about the scarcity of such works just a few years ago. It appears that the historical stereotypes which classified women as ladies with nary a sexual thought have, for the most part, gone to ground. The ensuing sigh of relief is now being expressed by thousands of women in their articles, essays, stories, and, yes, even websites such as this one. No longer do women feel the need to restrict their writings to the "pure" and sexually devoid.
Even more encouraging is the fact that a majority of women erotic writers are now able to sign their real names to their works rather than using pseudonyms. This is apparently the case in all aspects of sexual fiction, although some writers occasionally experience some of the ostracism which used to be the norm for authors of sexually explicit material.
As the boundaries of our formerly strict Victorian society continue to loosen, I believe we will see sexuality, especially women's sexuality, taking a more dominant position in our culture.
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