Overview

... a work that builds a substantial bridge between Freudian psychoanalysis and radical feminist thought, particularly on the subject of lesbianism.... Presenting a complex argument about an issue vital to the psychoanalytic endeavor as well as to feminist theory, The Practice of Love should stimulate a reconsideration of `perversion' and the construction of sexual fantasy. The illumination of the fantasies that make lesbian desire distinctive will necessarily open up our understanding of all sexuality."" -Jessica Benjamin, New York Times Book Review Teresa de Lauretis has entwined three books into one: a critical history of psychoanalytic theories of female homosexuality; a bold study of how lesbians keep disappearing from popular culture, especially film; and an original speculation on the dynamics of lesbian desire."" -Elisabeth Young-Bruehl An important and original contribution not only to lesbian and gay studies, but also to psychoanalytic theory and film criticism. De Lauretis brings a unique and valuable perspective to issues of great importance today in all these areas."" -Leo Bersani De Lauretis's influential theory gets top marks from sapphic scholars who know best."" -Out In an eccentric reading of Freud through Laplanche and the Lacanian and feminist revisions, Teresa de Lauretis delineates a model of ""perverse"" desire and a theory of lesbian sexuality. The Practice of Love discusses classic psychoanalytic narratives of female homosexuality, contemporary feminist writings on female sexuality, and the evolution of the original fantasies into cultural myths or public fantasies.

Full Product Details

Author:   Teresa de Lauretis
Publisher:   Indiana University Press
Imprint:   Indiana University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.567kg
ISBN:  

9780253208781

ISBN 10:   0253208785
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   22 May 1994
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION PART ONE: PSYCHOANALYSIS AND LESBIAN SEXUALITY 1. Freud, Sexuality, and Perversion 2. Female Homosexuality Revisited PART TWO: ORIGINAL FANTASIES, SCENARIOS OF DESIRE 3. Recasting the Primal Scene: Film and Lesbian Representation 4. The Seductions of Lesbianism: Feminist Psychoanalytic Theory and the Maternal Imaginary 5. The Lure of the Mannish Lesbian: The Fantasy of Castration and the Signification of Desire PART THREE: TOWARD A THEORY OF LESBIAN SEXUALITY 6. Perverse Desire 7. Sexual Structuring and Habit Changes Works Cited Films Cited General Index Index of Films Citied

Reviews

... a work that builds a substantial bridge between Freudian psychoanalysis and radical feminist thought, particularly on the subject of lesbianism... Presenting a complex argument about an issue vital to the psychoanalytic endeavor as well as to feminist theory, The Practice of Love should stimulate a reconsideration of 'perversion' and the construction of sexual fantasy. The illumination of the fantasies that make lesbian desire distinctive will necessarily open up our understanding of all sexuality. Jessica Benjamin, New York Times Book Review Teresa de Lauretis has entwined three books into one: a critical history of psychoanalytic theories of female homosexuality; a bold study of how lesbians keep disappearing from popular culture, especially film; and an original speculation on the dynamics of lesbian desire. Elisabeth Young-Bruehl An important and original contribution not only to lesbian and gay studies, but also to psychoanalytic theory and film criticism. De Lauretis brings a unique and valuable perspective to issues of great importance today in all these areas. Leo Bersani De Lauretis's influential theory gets top marks from sapphic scholars who know best. Out

""" ... a work that builds a substantial bridge between Freudian psychoanalysis and radical feminist thought, particularly on the subject of lesbianism... Presenting a complex argument about an issue vital to the psychoanalytic endeavor as well as to feminist theory, The Practice of Love should stimulate a reconsideration of 'perversion' and the construction of sexual fantasy. The illumination of the fantasies that make lesbian desire distinctive will necessarily open up our understanding of all sexuality."" Jessica Benjamin, New York Times Book Review ""Teresa de Lauretis has entwined three books into one: a critical history of psychoanalytic theories of female homosexuality; a bold study of how lesbians keep disappearing from popular culture, especially film; and an original speculation on the dynamics of lesbian desire."" Elisabeth Young-Bruehl ""An important and original contribution not only to lesbian and gay studies, but also to psychoanalytic theory and film criticism. De Lauretis brings a unique and valuable perspective to issues of great importance today in all these areas."" Leo Bersani ""De Lauretis's influential theory gets top marks from sapphic scholars who know best."" Out"

Author Information

Teresa de Lauretis is Professor of the History of Consciousness at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is the author of Alice Doesn't: Feminism, Semiotics, Cinema and Technologies of Gender and the editor of Feminist Studies/Critical Studies and of Queer Theory: Lesbian and Gay Sexualities (a special issue of the journal differences).

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