Le chemin vers le cœur d’une femme passe par ses pieds.
“…the woman’s foot or shoe is a talisman, a charm endowed with magical powers of seduction, that exerts supernatural control over men and inspires their quasi-religious reverence.” —Amy S. Wyngaard, The Fetish in/as Text
THE SCHOOL OF WOMEN is #3 in our Pocket Erotica series. This is a brand new translation by Amandine Lévêque of Nicolas Chorier‘s libertine novel, L’Académie des dames (Paris, ca 1755). Our abbreviated, pocket-sized edition includes four of the original seven dialogues, as well as charming & explicit illustrations by the anonymous artist whose work accompanied the French edition. (PUBLISHER’S NOTE: a second volume is forthcoming.)
Chorier’s novel presents a series of witty, erotic dialogues between Tullie and her innocent cousin, Octavie whom she has been charged with initiating into the world of sexual pleasure.
“ [Your mother] pleaded with me yesterday to instruct you in all the most hidden secrets of marriage, to teach you how you should act … In order to do this, my dear, we must sleep together this evening; I will act like your husband, and you will act like my wife…”
The School of Women
Nicolas Chorier
Translated from the French by Amandine Lévêque
Introduction by Richard Robinson
Pocket Erotica [№ 3] New Urge Editions
131 pages; illustrated; perfect bound, paper;
4 x 6 inches; $12 ISBN-13: 978-1-7348166-8-6
A COMING OF AGE. An arousing translation by Richard Robinson of a French libertine classic —naughty, romantic, edgy — a tale that digs below the naves of the 18th century “amphibious” world of sex and religion. Its hero, a young abbot, hones his secular skills and steals the “laurels” of sexual triumph from his choir of well-bred female trophies. A Coming of Age, originally La Morlière’s Ecclesiastical Laurels, unveils upper-society sexual shenanigans from out of the chapel and into the holy sanctuary of licentiousness and love.
This is No. 2 in the Pocket Erotica series from New Urge—compact (4 x 6-inch) perfect-bound booklets that fit in your pocket or purse.
This publisher enjoys those “frowns and knitted eyebrows.”
The first volume in the series, translated from the French by
A series of charmingly explicit erotic dialogues between Tullie and her innocent cousin, Octavie, whom she has been charged with initiating into the world of sexual pleasure. “ [Your mother] pleaded with me yesterday to instruct you in all the most hidden secrets of marriage, to teach you how you should act with respect to Pamphile, and what his prerogatives and his advantages are. In order to do this, my dear, we must sleep together this evening; I will act like your husband, and you will act like my wife…”
This volume includes the first four dialogues of the original seven, plus six tasteful illustrations.
The School of Women
Nicolas Chorier
Translated from the French by Amandine Lévêque
—Tastefully Illustrated—
Pocket Erotica [№ 3]
[photo by Amy Kurman]
We kick off July with the launch of this exciting and collectible new series from our New Urge imprint: Pocket Erotica—featuring original translations of classic and obscure works of erotic literature. Each volume is a compact 4 x 6-inch paperback with a distinctive uniform design.
Pocket Erotica No. 1 is now available worldwide on Amazon: DON’T TOUCH by Anne-Gabriel Meusnier de Querlon, translated from the French by Richard Robinson. A fun, lively, contemporary translation of an 18th century French libertine novella with a narrative technique that drops the soutanes, lifts the wimples, and pushes the boundaries of the novel – 150 years ahead of its time. Erotic, sacrilegious, funny and 
infectious, it is the “amorous true story,” as told by herself, Saint Nitouche, a Carmelite Extern Nun, whose “taste for pleasure and vocation for retreat” bump up against each other in surprisingly modern and eternally scandalous ways in the convent and in the bawdy house. Still scandalous today, it is like Thérèse Finds Happiness, but without the philosophy.
Think small and start your collection today.
Put a little fun in your mailbox.
An arousing translation of a French libertine tale —naughty, romantic, edgy —that digs below the naves of the 18th century “amphibious” world of sex and religion. Its hero, a young abbot, hones his secular skills and steals the “laurels” of sexual triumph from among his choir of well-bred female trophies. A Coming of Age, originally La Morlière’s Ecclesiastical Laurels, unveils upper-society sexual shenanigans from out of the chapel and into the holy sanctuary of licentiousness and true love.
… desperate not to lose so beautiful a moment of passion, I was already employing the baluster in a way that was, perhaps, unknown to bishops and prelates; she was following along with my reasoning, I was about to give her a taste of its energy; &, in spite of the uncomfortableness of the position, I put forward the DEFINITIVE ARGUMENT: she was not without some distrust in its success, but I was going to destroy her disbelief. Already we were united to the extent of being one, alreadyI was insinuating myself adroitly into her… heart;… I had her half-way… persuaded, when the accursed chambermaid whom we certainly were not expecting, entered brusquely & surprised us; the marchioness was in a bit of a dubious position, & I was deploying my brilliant… state, covered in… glory; in such a state that, in a word, of all my honest readers and critics together, three quarters of them will be more envious of me than imitators….
“This witty and seductive translation will make libertines of us all. Connoisseurs of high-literary pornography will cherish Thérèse Finds Happiness.”
—Catherine D’Avis, author of Angel of Everything
“…arouses the erogenous zones as well as one’s funny bone. Bravo Thérèse!”
—Amandine Lévêque
“Potent and playful, Thérèse Finds Happiness offers up sexual ecstasy, libertine philosophy, and amusing satirical scenes. The translation adds a contemporary edge to the text, and the tale’s ‘happy ending’ is a tour de force.”
—Lawrence Hamilton
from LE SCAT NOIR BEDSIDE NONSENSE
As we hunker down in our shelter here in Northern California, we remain busily preparing books to help you endure these terrible times. Alas, the crunch has hit everyone and small, independent bookstores and presses are struggling to stay alive. Please consider ordering a title or two from our list here. You can also donate to Black Scat via this direct PayPal link which will help us to keep bringing out titles such as the forthcoming works below. Thanks for your support.
We recently released two collections of provocative literary essays by British author John 
Cowper Powys: Powys on Books and Sensations and Visions Visions Visions. This fall, we’re publishing the first volume—(over 450 pages!)—of Powys’s extraordinary two-volume novel, Wolf Solent (1929). Eccentric and mystical, this literary masterpiece was hailed by Henry Miller as “utterly bewitching.” V. S. Pritchett called it “…a stupendous and rather glorious book… beautiful and strange as an electric storm.” Margaret Drabble said:“Powys’s work is full of paradoxes and surprises.” We’re proud to present this trio of titles in handsome uniform trade paper editions designed by artist Norman Conquest.
Coming in June, Le Scat Noir Bedside Nonsense is just what the doctor ordered for quarantined readers—a heady dose of innovative silliness and offbeat amusements. Edited by Norman Conquest, the anthology is #39 in our Absurdist Texts & Documents series—packed with art & texts by Mark Axelrod, Tom Barrett, Ken Brown, Caroline Crépiat, Haley Dahl, Ryan Forsythe, Paul Forristal, Penelope Goddard, Simon Hanes, Rhys Hughes, Alexei Kalinchuk, KKUURRTT, Rick Krieger, David Moscovich, Jason E. Rolfe, Paul Rosheim, Thaddeus Rutkowski, Terry Southern, Yuriy Tarnawsky, Tom Whalen, Carla M. Wilson, and other characters.
Thérèse Finds Happiness 
by the Marquis d’Argens is the 18th century precursor to the 1967 French novel Emmanuelle. This libertine classic’s potent erotic episodes are interspersed with discourses on a philosophy of pleasure contrasted with pervasive religious hypocrisy. The novel is noteworthy for its antipathy to the sexual repression of women during “The Age of Enlightenment.” It also happens to be extraordinarily humorous.
Richard Robinson has produced an exquisite new translation of Thérèse philosophe for the contemporary reader. Thérèse Finds Happiness will be available later this year under our New Urge imprint.
Also forthcoming from New Urge Editions: contemporary novels by Jessy Reine and Tom Bussmann. Watch this space for other surprises.
from LE SCAT NOIR BEDSIDE NONSENSE
