“Is there sex in that book?”

Sources used in this episode:
Auerbach, Nina. Our Vampires, Ourselves. Univ. of Chicago Press, 1996.
Meyer, Stephenie. Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined. Little, Brown and Company, 2015.
Meyer, Stephenie. Midnight Sun. Little, Brown and Company, 2020.
Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. Atom, 2015.
Waddell, Terrie. “Consensual and Non-Consensual Sucking: Vampires and Transitional Phenomena.” Hospitality, Rape and Consent in Vampire Popular Culture, 2017, pp. 147-161., doi:10.1007/978-3-319-62782-3_4.

Suggested reading:
This article about the misogyny of “bros before hoes.”

Conversation starters for talking about romance novels:
1. Is there sex in that book?
2. Are boundaries respected? What does consent look like?
3. What is love? Do characters react lovingly when expressing emotions?
4. Does anyone threaten suicide when they don’t get their way?
5. What kind of double standards exist between boys and girls?

National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number is 800-273-8255.

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