Political Crimes and Liberty, or Why Would Schubert Eat a Peacock?
In an influential and original article published in this journal in 1989,' Maynard Solomon put forward a provocative interpretation of the cryptic, by now infamous, entry in the playwright Eduard von Bauernfeld's diary from August 1826: "I am to translate Shakespeare's poems and sonnets for Sollinger. So be it! Schubert out of sorts (he requires 'young peacocks' like Benv. Cellini). Schwind morose, Schober idle, as usual. I am till full of travel-fever and vigor!"2 In sharp contrast to earlier interpretations of this diary passage by Otto Erich Deutsch and Eric Sams, Solomon rejected the association of the young peacocks with Cellini's (and by extension Schubert's) syphilis, proposing instead that th diary entry was an oblique reference to Schubert's probable homosexuality. Solomon arg ed that the many hunts for peacocks and other wild birds recounted in Cellini's Vita are
Schubert: Some Consequences of Nostalgia
"Man resembles a ball, to be played with by chance and passion"-"Di nos quasi pilas homines habent." With this quotation, adapted from Plautus (Captivi, Prologue, line 22),' Schubert opens his diary on the night of 8 September 1816. Next he paraphrases Epictetus (Encheiridion, sec. 17), who wrote: "Remember that you are an actor in a play, the character of which is determined by the Playwright.
Women and prostitution : a social history
In this time of heated debate over pornography in general and prostitution in particular, Vern and Bonnie Bullough present a fascinating look at the social and historical context of the 'world's oldest profession'. "Women and Prostitution" is a panorama of the forms and practices prostitution has assumed in many cultures over many centuries. Based on the assumption that one cannot understand prostitution without first understanding the role of women in society, this volume is the first comprehensive treatment of the historical, sociological, and anthropological background of prostitution. The authors expose the inextricable interweaving of scores of cultural dilemmas: women as property, pornography and the fear of sexuality, religion and promiscuity, sex and social class, and the control of venereal disease. The book conveys the tragedy and humor, the fortitude and cunning, the veniality and generosity, the real and counterfeit sensuality, and the hypocrisy and pathos that surround the lives of prostitutes. The beautiful, the powerful, the talented, and the most outrageous are here: Lais, Tamar, Pompadour, Du Barry, Emma Hamilton, Lola Montez and Calamity Jane. But in addition to these tales of the illustrious, these pages are filled with the experiences of the anonymous and the abused. "Women and Prostitution" is important reading for feminists, police, religious leaders, civil libertarians, the general public, and prostitutes themselves. All will benefit from this useful, sympathetic and illuminating book.