Our Monica, Ourselves

March 1, 2001
Our Monica, Ourselves: The Clinton Affair and the National Interest, an anthology edited by Lauren Berlant (The Anatomy of National Fantasy), English professor and director of the Center for Gender Studies at the University of Chicago, and Lisa Duggan (Sapphic Slashers), associate professor of American Studies and History at New York University, "seeks a medium-range perspective offering reflective, after-the-fact assessments by politically progressive journalists, scholars, and activists." A dialogue between academics Tyler Curtain and Dana D. Nelson on "The Symbolics of Presidentialism," Simone Weil Davis's essay on a pornographic satire of presidential philandering and Catharine Lumby's exploration of "the relationship between the phallus and the organ it represents" exemplify some of this rigorous cultural criticism of intersections between politics and sensationalism.

June 15, 2001
Despite the silly title, this set of 18 essays offers a variety of interesting commentaries a "progressive forum" on the Clinton sex scandal. It comes out of the postmodern school, with an emphasis on cultural and queer theory; most of the contributors are professors of English or media studies. The breadth of the analysis provides more than the occasional insight and laugh. The collection includes (in part) ruminations on body imagery, the idea of "the Jewess," the association of sexual recklessness with notions of race and class, the peculiarities of Clinton's politics (as well as his personal behavior) that made him vulnerable to such an attack, and the implications for Clinton's (reluctant) feminist supporters. Editors Berlant (English, Univ. of Chicago) and Duggan (American studies and history, New York Univ.) intend it as a "medium-range perspective," and many thoughtful readers will appreciate the nuanced approach. Recommended for large public and academic libraries. Cynthia Harrison, George Washington Univ., Washington, DC

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