SHORTLISTED FOR THE KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE
GLOBE AND MAIL BEST OF 2016
CBC BEST OF 2016
NATIONAL POST BEST OF 2016
QUILL & QUIRE BEST OF 2016
QUILL & QUIRE COVER OF THE YEAR
We think of the modern woman as sexually liberated – if anything, we’re told we’re oversexed. Yet a striking number of women are dissatisfied with their sex lives. Over half of women report having a sexual complaint, whether that’s lack of desire or difficulty reaching orgasm. But this issue doesn’t get much press; the urge is to ignore or medicalize it (witness the quest for ‘pink Viagra’). If so many ordinary women suffer from sexual frustration, then perhaps the problem isn’t one that can be addressed by a pharmaceutical fix – or isn’t a problem. Maybe we need to get hot and bothered about a broader cultural cure: a reorienting of our current male-focused approach to sex and pleasure, and a rethinking of what’s ‘normal.’
Using a blend of reportage, interview and first-person reflection, journalist Sarah Barmak explores the cutting-edge science and grassroots cultural trends that are getting us closer to truth of women’s sexuality. Closer reveals how women are reshaping their sexuality today in wild, irrepressible ways: nude meetings, how-to apps, trans-friendly porn, therapeutic vulva massage, hour-long orgasms and public clit-rubbing demonstrations – and redefining female sexuality on its own terms.
‘A fascinating social history of the female orgasm – where we’ve come and where we are today.’
– CBC Books
‘Closer tackles its subject with eloquence, intelligence and humour … I recommend it to my friends of all genders, my boyfriend, my sisters, and especially the woman who started it all, my mother.’
—rabble.ca
‘… Closer is a revelation.’
—Bitch Magazine
‘… an incredibly insightful exploration of female pleasure.’
—Globe and Mail
‘Closer is a thought-provoking read. Barmak’s sophisticated journalism and engaging personal anecdotes cover a lot of ground, making this title a must for anyone with a vested interest in women’s sexual health.’
—Broken Pencil