Virgin: The Untouched History (41 page)

A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR

Hanne Blank is a writer, historian, and public speaker whose activities have taken her from university lecture halls to the pages of
Penthouse.
An independent scholar, she has served in various capacities at several institutions of higher learning, most recently as the 2004—2005 Scholar of the Institute for Teaching and Research on Women, Towson University, Maryland. A former professional classical musician, she lives in Baltimore.

Praise for
Virgin

"An informative, funny and provocative analysis of one of the most elusive and prized qualities of human sexuality . . . Blank has no shortage of fascinating facts . . . Blank also has a pleasing, highly readable style that allows her to convey large amounts of information with wit and agility . . . Thoroughly researched, carefully argued and written with a sly sense of humor, this is a bright addition to the popular literature of women's and cultural studies."

—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

"Hanne Blank's
Virgin
is a magisterial work of impeccable scholarship and an absolutely riveting read. Blank's assured command of a range of diverse materials ranging over centuries never fails as she weaves these into a compelling narrative demonstrating the historical and contemporary significance of ideas about virginity, in contrast to the elusiveness of its reliable physical identification. This book is an important event in the history of gender, sexuality and the body, as well as having remarkable relevance to current issues."

—Dr. Lesley A. Hall, senior archivist, Wellcome Understanding of Medicine, London

"Her survey is engrossing and informative . . . she's willing to do research both in the stacks of law libraries and in the back shelves of video stores."

—
New York Observer

"Blank's revealing history of virginity begins with discoveries related to women's bodies over time, then quickly moves on to a fascinating analysis of the roles economics, religion, and urbanization have played in the changing attitudes toward virginity. From the Roman Empire to the Jazz Age and beyond, with appearances by Jesus, Elizabeth I, Samuel Pepys, and Alfred Kinsey, this is a rich history indeed."

—
Booklist

"It's a rare book that can provide a deeper understanding of our cultural relationship to female sexuality along with an array of lively cocktail party trivia. Impeccably researched and engagingly written,
Virgin
does both with wit, style, and intellectual rigor. Before I read it, I didn't even realize how little I knew about virginity, and how much there is to know. What a huge contribution to study of sexuality and gender."

—Lisa Jervis, cofounder,
Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture

"
Virgin
is an engagingly written book on a fascinating subject. The information within can help Americans establish a healthier relationship with sexuality."

—Gloria Feldt, author, activist, former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America

"It would all be exhausting if it weren't so enlightening and, for reasons both prurient and educational, page-turning."

—
Baltimore City Paper

"Hanne Blank's always original and provocative writing fills a long-standing gap to investigate perhaps one of the most engrained, personally defining, but yet understudied taboos: virginity. With the wit of the best conversationalist and the grounding of an experienced scholar, she crosses disciplines, historical epochs, and religious traditions, and reveals very well what has been most desired and most feared through history in women themselves."

—Paula Kamen, author of
Her Way: Young Women Remake the Sexual Revolution

"Entertaining and erudite . . .
Virgin
is a treasure trove of obscure and fascinating material. . . presented with wit and clarity. Blank's eye-opening cultural history will make you rethink everything you ever thought you knew about its familiar yet underanalyzed subject."

—Rachel Manija Brown, author of
All the Fishes Come Home to Roost

"Erudite and witty."

—
Chicago Sun-Times