Ace

Zusatztext "[ Ace ] is a [thoughtful] combination of reportage, cultural criticism and memoir, and the writing attempts the difficult balance between proof and emotion. [Most striking is] Chen's honesty, the sentences of intimate reflection that appear in the margins of her argument throughout." The New York Times " Ace is a fantastic starting point for dismantling harmful sexual narratives and reimagining human connection as a broader, more equitable, enjoyable and free experience." Washington Post "The book allows us to imagine how much more we could get from our relationships if we were able to free ourselves from restrictive ideas of what we're supposed to feel and do." Rhaina Cohen, NPR "Highly informative and readable." Ms. "One guarantee: Your mind will be blown by this book." Shondaland "Chen sets a thoughtful, rigorous, personally generous tone for what will hopefully be an expanding area of study." Electric Literature "This book isn't just about asexuality and that's what makes it such a vital read; it's about society, and society's rules and norms and expectations around sex, sexuality, and all forms of relationships. It's so good and I want every person on earth to read it." Sarah Nielsen, them "Chen's careful cultural analysis explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness." Kundiman "In her penetrating yet wittily kind voice, she describes many different visions of a sexually liberated society, if we could all just pay closer attention. She both imagines and demands a world through which each individual can move on their own terms, where any expression of orientation or attraction or desire can be as simpleas accepted and acceptable and easy and profound and taken at face value and understoodas "You're my person."" Women's Review of Books A necessary and thoughtful book that accessibly communicates a wide array of ace experiences. Booklist Chen has produced a thoughtful look at what it means not to experience sexual attraction. Library Journal Precision of language . . . is at the fore of Ace , a text that offers a nuanced exploration of sexual identities and a celebration of other types of intimacies beyond the confines of compulsory sexuality. International Examiner A long overdue addition to the catalog of sexuality writing and resources. Chen thoughtfully positions asexuality not as its own unique category or identity but as one more point on the vast, diverse spectrum of human sexual identities. A must-read for everyone: ace, allo, or anywhere in between. Lux Alptraum, author of Faking It: The Lies Women Tell About Sexand the Truths They Reveal Through painstaking research and her considerable skill as a storyteller, Angela Chen brings needed attention and nuance to an often overlooked spectrum of asexual experiences, encouraging readers to consider what exists and what is possible in terms of human connection, consent, understanding, and acceptance. A book that makes room for questions even as it illuminates, Ace should be viewed as a landmark work on culture and sexuality. Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir Accessible and eloquently written, Ace sensitively and accurately spotlights an interconnected series of outsider experiences. Few asexual-spectrum narratives so authentically and diversely capture the truths, the quirks, the tragedies, and the triumphs of our lives without alienating non-ace readers or appealing only to one subset of the ace population. Ace creates an inclusive tapestry of validating and eye-opening narratives that will give some readers an experience they may...

Autorentext

Angela Chen

Klappentext

An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that’s obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity.

What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, Ace addresses the misconceptions around the “A” of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy.

Journalist Angela Chen creates her path to understanding her own asexuality with the perspectives of a diverse group of asexual people. Vulnerable and honest, these stories include a woman who had blood tests done because she was convinced that “not wanting sex” was a sign of serious illness, and a man who grew up in a religious household and did everything “right,” only to realize after marriage that his experience of sexuality had never been the same as that of others. Disabled aces, aces of color, gender-nonconforming aces, and aces who both do and don’t want romantic relationships all share their experiences navigating a society in which a lack of sexual attraction is considered abnormal. Chen’s careful cultural analysis explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness.

Inhalt
Author’s Note

PART I: SELF

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1
Arriving at Asexuality

CHAPTER 2
Explanation Via Negativa

CHAPTER 3
Compulsory Sexuality and (Male) Asexual Existence

PART II: VARIATIONS ON A THEME

CHAPTER 4
Just Let Me Liberate You

CHAPTER 5
Whitewashed

CHAPTER 6
In Sickness and in Health

PART III: OTHERS

CHAPTER 7
Romance, Reconsidered

CHAPTER 8
The Good-Enough Reason

CHAPTER 9
Playing with Others

CHAPTER 10
Anna

CHAPTER 11
Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been?

Thank You
Further Reading
Notes
Index