Blogfest 2009

They have to be done very tastefully–but unless they really mean something in the story, as a metaphor for something else, than I think they’re usually unnecessary.

How could I not address “stuff like sex scenes” here at Blogfest ’09, since some would say my new novel Swoon is about sex. I would say it’s about love. Oh, also betrayal and revenge and possession and rage and bliss and obsession; a boy, a girl, another girl, a small town, a big mystery, a ghost, a golem. And, all right, fine, sex. Straight sex, gay sex, predatory sex, scandalous sex, sex as a weapon, a trap, a drug, a quagmire, and mm-hmm good old delirious, incendiary sexy sex.

In life I am a big proponent of sex. Like the opposable thumb and the cerebrum, all those incredibly sensitive nerve endings “down there” (and elsewhere) are part of our birthright as human beings. Sex is as much “us” as holding a fork or composing a sonnet. We’re the only species who can “mate” face-to-face. And since people sex (as opposed to, I don’t know, worm sex) is so immensely pleasurable it must have been intended for recreation as well as procreation. Thanks, God!

That’s my view on sex in life. As to books aimed at the “young adult” audience—ought sexual content require a disclaimer, the literary equivalent of “you cannot ride this ride unless you are this tall”? I think not. If you’re interested in sex, you’re interested in sex, whether you’re thirteen or eighty-three. No one tells you “You’re too young for math!” or “You’ll understand music when you’re older.”

Yet sex (along with that nifty thumb and mighty brain) is huge. Being able to hold a fork, a pencil, a paintbrush, a gun, a blowtorch, a scalpel, a guitar pick, et cetera is huge! Being able to compose a sonnet, an argument, a resume, a rhapsody, an idea, an ism, a sentence, a thought is huge! Sex—the same. A given, but a gift. A right, but a treasure. You can sit around with your opposable thumb lodged firmly up your rectum or you could use it to write your magnum opus. Point being: Let’s not squander our gifts.

Hence, regarding sex and the teenage reader, I tend to make a huge deal of it. Sex ought not be “gratuitous” (damn, I swore I wasn’t gonna use that word) in literature because it ought not be “gratuitous” (again! double-damn!) in life. Even if we leave love out of the picture for the moment (since that’s a whole other blog), sex between Homo sapiens—in reality or on the page—ought be part of the glorious celebration of being human beings.

To that I say yes. Yes, yes, yes, oh yes!

Well, I think a lot of it depends on the age of your readers, and how you feel about introducing sex (or substances, or violence) into their psyches. It also depends (to me) whether or not the sex (or substances, or violence) is essential to the characters and their story, or if it is there just to be “sexy.” But I think that’s something I’m sensitive about in general; I have trouble with anything that isn’t really genuine in a book—even if it’s just a scene of someone washing his hair!

I think it depends on the context of the book, the characters themselves (whether or not a sex scene molds a character’s thoughts/actions in some way), and the age of your intended reader. I feel a bit squeamish at the thought of a sex scene being read by a fourth or fifth grader, but obviously older readers can handle more mature (and true to life) imagery.

When I was younger, I certainly learned a lot about sex by reading books with sex scenes in them. Every reader is different, and everyone has a different level of maturity in terms of what appeals or doesn’t appeal to them as they grow older. What was disgusting to me at nine years old was fascinating to me at eleven! My friends and I enjoyed sneaking peeks at more adult material when we were kids. We were way too self-conscious and embarrassed to ask our parents about sex, so books made it easier to learn about things we were mortified to discuss with adults.  I enjoy a great romantic scene or well-written love scene.  It doesn’t have to be graphic, but it has to have the excitement and energy that we are all longing for when it comes to intimate connection. So I say sex scenes are okay if they are age-appropriate! It’s a natural part of life and an exciting part of the transition into adulthood.