Sex and the Single Woman

March 1, 2022
A collection of contemporary writers revisit and revamp the 1962 classic. "In the 1960s, Helen taught single women how to game a system that wasn't built for them," writes Brooke Hauser, author of Enter Helen: The Invention of Helen Gurley Brown and the Rise of the Modern Single Woman (2016). "In 2022, most of us can agree that the solution isn't gaming the system but changing it to work for all women--not just those who are white, single, straight, and cisgender." Smith and Swanson curate accounts of sexual experiences from a diverse group of women, all of whom seem willing to help change the system--or at least the way we talk and think about singledom. Each essay offers a unique perspective, though some readers may wish for an ever broader representation in regard to the contributor's ages and locations. Among the most outstanding pieces are Kate Crawford's "Second Coming," in which the author, who was 15 when Sex and the Single Girl was released, examines how she is trying to rediscover herself, declaring that she is "resuscitating my sexy sixties campaign"; and Evette Dionne's "Just the Beginning," about how the journalist and critic "learned over the years that there's nothing lonely about being single." Other profound discussions involve sexual aggression and assault in the queer community--writes Kristen Arnett: "Our (sexist) cultural assumptions that women are less aggressive than men, that they're 'safer' to be around, has meant a total lack of discussion about the problems that occur when boundaries are crossed"--and themes of both friendship and trauma are threaded throughout the collection, which is mostly respectful to its source material but unafraid of calling out many of its outdated notions. Other contributors include Melissa Febos, Briallen Hopper, Samantha Allen, and Morgan Parker. Coyness need not apply as writers of different identities and backgrounds share their experiences of singledom.

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April 15, 2022
Sixty years after the publication of Helen Gurley Brown's classic Sex and the Single Girl, editors Smith and Swanson decided it was time for an updated version. While Sex may have been controversial and groundbreaking in 1962, suggesting that women should be financially independent and indulge in sex before marriage, it was also very white, straight, and bound by traditional gender roles. Smith and Swanson recruit a diverse group of writers, including Kristen Arnett, writing about harassment and assault in the queer community; Xo�i Pham, meditating on sex work and love as a trans person; and Melissa Faliveno, who considers the strangeness of defining oneself based on relationship status. While there are common themes--discovering the joys of self-love, overcoming long-held beliefs--each essay is unique, with a distinct point of view, and many pieces feel almost confessional, like Nichole Perkins admitting that, while she knows she doesn't need a man, she still wants one. Knowledge of Helen Gurley Brown is not necessary, and only a few of the essays reference her. This is a wide-ranging, life-affirming collection.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.