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Capturing America: Mark Lawson's History of Modern American Literature

Robyn Read

Capturing America: Mark Lawson's History of Modern American Literature: Episode 5: Making Sex Safe

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Episode 5: Making Sex Safe

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Capturing America: Mark Lawson's History of Modern American Literature, Making Sex SafeSearch BBC

How a historically Puritan country was challenged by novels exploring sexual expression.

Mark Lawson traces how novels and plays by American writers have explored sexual expression. With Susanna Moore. From March 2010.

Mark Lawson tells the story of how American writing became the literary superpower of the 20th century, telling the nation's stories of money, power, sex, religion and war.

From the 1950s the phrase 'scandalous bestseller' began to appear on the covers of paperbacks such as Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, Couples by John Updike and Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth. And in spite of a widespread belief that America had become unshockable, there continued to be bursts of controversy over works of literature dealing with sex, including Tony Kushner's Angels in America - subtitled A Gay Fantasia on National Themes - Edmund White's A Boy's Own Story, Susanna Moore's In the Cut and Patricia Cornwell's introduction of the first lesbian character in a mainstream crime series. The programme also features Nicholson Baker's response to discovering - in the Starr Report - that his erotically explicit book Vox was one of the love gifts given by Monica Lewinsky to President Clinton.

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

Mark Lawson tells the story of the rise of American writing in the 20th century

Mark Lawson tells the story of how American writing became the literary superpower of the 20th century, telling the nation's stories of money, power, sex, religion and war

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