“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
- Rudyard Kipling
The aims of this site are manifold; to provoke thought, to shine light on the parts of sexuality that we might otherwise ignore, to confuse, to spark debate, to raise awareness. In my writing I attempt to do this by dealing with a variety of different subjects.
As the tagline of this site – ‘Putting erotic content in context’ – suggests, I do have a particular purpose in my work: that is to show that erotica does not exist in a bubble. It is an integrated part of daily life rather than something separate or exclusive. Due to social stigma and the damage it can do, many erotic artists find it necessary to work anonymously. However, as well as perpetuating the need for anonymity, this also has the effect of compartmentalising the artists’ lives and allowing their fans to see them only as erotic individuals, rather than multi-faceted human beings – which I feel is a great shame. Therefore the content of this site is not exclusively erotic, and I take great delight in finding eroticism in unexpected places.
Of course this purpose gives me a huge amount of freedom, allowing me to explore art and eroticism in a fairly unlimited way. Therefore, whilst I do have this particular purpose in mind, the day to day purposes of my writing are very fluid.
Having said that, two slightly more fixed points are particularly close to my heart and, I feel, particularly poignant when creating erotic art in today’s world.
The first is quality. There is no real reason that erotic literature should be valued any less than other genres but the blurred line between erotica and pornography has cheapened the former. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with pornography, but simply that it is a different creative form with a different aim, and due to the social perceptions of pornography, putting them together does have a detrimental effect on erotica. Furthermore, social stigma has pushed many erotic creatives into what I would call a self-contained sub-culture, wherein artists are often encouraged to self-produce their work. On the one hand, in a world where explicit content is not largely accepted by the mainstream, the ability to self-publish is a very positive thing. However, unless erotic creatives specifically make the effort to build their own filter, the art of discerning editorship is lost. Therefore it is crucial that erotic artists and consumers critique the work produced in an honest manner. Very little can be gained by way of soft-hearted, exclusively supportive reviews. By holding quality in high esteem I hope to show, through my own work and by promoting that of others, that erotic fiction deserves a place in the literary canon.
The second point of importance, for me, is truth. It is my belief that speaking the truth, clearly and without error is the only way to move towards a world that champions freedom, and freedom of speech. To be able to write freely is integral to writing the full scope of human experience.
In addition to this, I do not shy away from tackling subjects of a subversive, transgressive or taboo nature in my fiction; the darker side of humanity deserves it’s voice as well. Therefore I do ask that visitors use their best judgement when deciding to read and/or listen to the content of (It Girl. Rag Doll) and the podcast.
On that note I feel compelled to point out that the fiction I write is just that: fiction. I do not support, defend, or partake in any of the serious, illegal practices that might be explored in my work or the work of those I promote, particularly where a lack of consent is concerned. Whilst I fight to defend the right of consenting adults to explore their sexuality in any way they wish, I condemn completely any non-consensual sexual activity and exploitation. There is a world of difference between this kind of activity in real life, and what is explored in fiction. Again, please use your best judgement when deciding whether to read and/or listen to my work.
If you wish to contact me, you can do so via email. I welcome all feedback, and am always keen to discuss the subjects I write about as well as any further thoughts my articles might inspire. Email me on harper (at) itgirlragdoll dot com.
