Bitchery reader Alyssa send me a link to more of the 100th Anniversary of Mills & Boon coverage, with, as she pointed out, a most excellent quote: “It tended to be rather breast focused….”
Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
What captured my attention was the mention of an upcoming exhibit in Manchester titled “And then he kissed her: 100 years of Mills & Boon.” I’d totally fly across the pond to see that, especially since there are some new direct-to-London discount airlines.
Meanwhile, Achewood’s Cornelius is writing a Harlequin. Organic style. I nearly hurt myself laughing at the unspoken sexuality inherent in a water yam. Thanks to Katia for the link.
I’m going to that and I’ve also received an invitation to the Pure Passion event at Manchester Town Hall on February 20th. I can’t wait!
We’ve had several great events, talks from authors and so on, and the Pure Passion event is the culmination of that.
RNA (the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association) has been approached for memorabilia for the exhibition, and members have come up with some marvelous things for it, old books, signed copies, giveaways, all kinds of things.
This is going to be fun!
Man, the journalist would just HAVE to pick one of those old old Linda Howards with…err…questionable gender portrayals (to put it mildly). I can’t remember if it’s the one with rape or not (and I won’t check, thank you, trying to pretend I never read it).
But I loved the rest of it. I need a shirt with that “breast focused” quote. Hilarious.
There are direct flights to Manchester airport from some US airports…
Hadn’t realised the central library was doing an exhibition. Must go in to have a look, only I can’t find any actual details. 🙁
Spaminator: john69. Um. Yes.
*sigh* There just had to be a comment from a “feminist writer” about how these books perpetuate rape fantasies, going so far as to call them “misogynistic hate speech.” Since the majority of the books are written by women, I suppose she should really have said “self-hating” speech.
No one outside the genre seems to be willing to examine romance in a modern light. We are not the same readers or writers, these are not the same books. Societies—hopefully—evolve; why does no one see that romance has as well?
Oh, wait, maybe it’s the titles and covers that drive even us ‘round the bend. But that’s another rant.
The only information I could find about the exhibit is this mention at The Bookseller website about a June timeframe: http://tinyurl.com/39xncs
And look! Retro M&B greeting cards! I can’t get to the exhibit, but I’d really like to grab some of those cards.
I can’t believe they chose one of the worst books ever written for the quote…I once made the mistake of buying that very book, “Loving Evangeline”, and yes, the hero is definitely a misogynist and the heroine is a stupid doormat, and I couldn’t read it to the end because it made me want to hurl. But this book is not at all representative for what romance novels are like! Even in the 1980s, not all romance novels were this bad.
I was really hoping Cornelius would help me out with that question re: conventionally grown local vs. organic flown in – it’s like I’m making Sophie’s Choice every time I pick up a fruit or a vegetable at the grocers any more.
I guess I’ll have to have to remain satisfied at how well he knows and writes women.