• Queer as Folk: The Book

Paul Ruditis

(Pocket Books, www.simonsays.com)

In the “P.S.” to their introduction in this coffee-table book, writers of the Queer as Folk Showtime series—Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman—give their take on the show’s weird title: “‘There’s nothing stranger than people’—be they British, American, Canadian, men, women, gay, or straight. Politically correct or incorrect—that’s something we can all agree on.”

But there’s nothing strange about this fascinating peek into the groundbreaking show’s rise. Find out how the show came about, the hiring process of the actors, each actor’s words on his or her character, episode-by-episode guide, fabulous photos, and so much more.

If you’re even the least bit obsessed with the Queer as Folk TV series, this companion book is mandatory reading. And if you know someone who’s a fan of QAF, this is the gift for him or her. The limited-edition book even includes a bonus DVD. Also available in paperback. —Blase DiStefano

• Quickies 3

Edited by James C. Johnstone

• Hot + Bothered 4

Edited by Karen X. Tulchinsky

(Arsenal Pulp Press)

We love Canada. Especially since same-gender marriage became the law of that northern land, we have no doubt idealized our neighbor as a romantic paradise. But do any of us consider Canada sexy?

Well, maybe we should. Just in time for holiday gift giving, Vancouver-based Arsenal Pulp has released separate anthologies of short erotic fiction for boys and girls. At only a few pages each, the titles of these saucy tales include “Six Shooter Sex,” “Hockey Buff,” and “Hey Straight Boy” for the guys (Quickies) and “To Bear Fruit,” “Gutter Girl,” and “Flirt” for the gals (Hot + Bothered).

Who knew Canadians could be at once so naughty and so time efficient? —Tim Brookover

Feminine Persuasion: Art and Essays on Sexuality

Edited by Betsy Stirratt and Catherine Johnson

(Indiana University Press)

This elegant volume documents an exhibition at Indiana University that marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Alfred Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, which in many ways heralded a new era for women. The work from the Kinsey Institute collection reproduced here include an astonishingly explicit circa-1840 painting of a woman engaged in self-love by French artist Paul Gavarni and a playful ’40s book illustration of two voluptuous naked women at play. Ghada Amer, Patty Chang, Renee Cox, and others provide potent contemporary images. Jean Machover Reinisch contributes an essay on body image and the women in Kinsey’s work, and Jean Robertson surveys the history of feminist art over the past half century. —TB

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