No, this is not an article about how erotic stories can drive one to unparalleled heights of ecstasy, or how a well-crafted phrase can be so profound it has a physiological effect in the nether regions.
No, this is to do with a quotation I came across:
“Literature, it’s like orgasm: some things you can’t teach!”
Well, I’m not sure about that (the literature part I mean). If that were true, I’ve wasted a lot of money on literature courses, and there are a lot of Eng Lit teachers and authors making money under false pretences. It’s a good throwaway line, and good for starting a conversation (I might try it next time I find myself pinned against a wall by some over-earnest Eng Lit professor pontificating about something or other), but I don’t think it’s true.
It strikes me as equivalent to saying that you can’t teach art appreciation, or how to draw (which in my case is actually correct) or how to take decent photographs.
Anyway, I’ve enjoyed sharing that with you, and now I’m going off to read some excellent novels. The quote comes from the book below. If you buy it from Amazon by clicking on the cover, I will earn a few pennies as an Amazon Associate, at no extra cost to you.
How Yiddish changed America: click on the cover to see the book on Amazon UK