American Fetish expands the empirical material and analysis from my 1998 dissertation, which focused on the development of SM/fetish style through 1971 (the year the first public SM organizations emerged, the Eulenspiegel Society in New York City and the Chicago Hellfire Club).   The book extends the period to the 1990’s, when the kink community began another epochal shift in its social organization.

Since the dissertation work, I have become more concerned to address historical issues of community formation, ethics, and the interaction between domains such as medicine, law, and popular culture in the development of modern sexualities, including consensual sadomasochism and the variety of associated kinky interests (the medical term is “fetish”) that exist in society today.  These will be among the foci of the book. For those curious, you may find germane discussion on the CARAS website (subscription required, but it is inexpensive, tax-deductible, and for a good cause).

American Fetish will be published by Duke University Press.