Absolute Pleasure by Margot Atwell, Paperback, 9781558613508 | Buy online at The Nile
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Absolute Pleasure

Queer Reflections on Five Messy Decades of Rocky Horror

Author: Margot Atwell, Magdalene Visaggio, Grace Lavery and Carmen Maria Machado  

Absolute Pleasure
Paperback

"A collection of essays by queer writers that explore the complicated legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show along with queer and trans joy, sexuality, family, and generational understandings of queerness"-- Provided by publisher.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

"A collection of essays by queer writers that explore the complicated legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show along with queer and trans joy, sexuality, family, and generational understandings of queerness"-- Provided by publisher.

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Description

Since its earliest midnight showings at the Waverly Theater in New York City, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been an underground sensation. For five decades, people around the world have dressed up and gathered in dark theaters to dance, yell, mime obscene acts, and forge connections with other queer people and weirdos.

The film shattered expectations and social norms at the time of its release. But how does its presentation of queerness-not to mention its portrayals of murder, manipulation, consent violation, and cannibalism-hold up today? The essays in Absolute Pleasure-by queer writers including Sarah Gailey, Grace Lavery, and Magdalene Visaggio-explore the film's complicated legacy, along with queer and trans joy, sexuality, family, generational understandings of queerness, and what we do with our problematic faves.

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Critic Reviews

Praise for Absolute Pleasure

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show rocked my world as a teenager in the ’70s, and the light it showed me over at the Frankenstein place was where I first learned I could remove the cause, and enjoy the symptom, of being trans. The essays in this expansive anthology are so many lighters, held aloft, that illuminate the enduring influence of this film.” —Susan Stryker, author of When Monsters Speak

"Virgins and veterans alike will find something to contemplate in this wide-ranging collection, which is not afraid to interrogate a beloved classic while also celebrating its profound impact on weirdos and misfits across generations. As one of those weirdos, I’m so glad it exists." —Jess Zimmerman, author of Women and Other Monsters

"A collection as colorful, subversive, and comforting as the film it celebrates, Absolute Pleasure immortalizes in print The Rocky Horror Picture Show's still-unrivaled capacity for building queer connection and community in ways both wistful and wicked." —Joe Vallese, editor of It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror

“As someone with a Tim Curry tattoo on my arm, Absolute Pleasure sent glorious shockwaves of recognition through my body with each and every soul-baring essay. I felt validated, fascinated and ‘toucha toucha’ touched by every joyous, bittersweet, libidinous, liberating, mascara-smeared confession from fellow Transylvanians.” —Darren Stein, director of Jawbreaker

“Absolute Pleasure delivers exactly that! Knowing that so many fellow, lonely young outsiders were guided to the light over at the Frankenstein place and found where they truly belonged reaffirms my lifelong passion and fandom for all things Rocky Horror. I smiled so much while reading this that my face began to ache.” —Peaches Christ, filmmaker and cult leader

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About the Author

Margot Atwell (she/her/hers) is a writer, editor, publisher, speaker, and community funding expert. She is the former executive director and publisher of Feminist Press. Previously, she was head of publishing and director of community outreach at Kickstarter, PBC, and publisher of Beaufort Books. In 2019, she was selected as aPublishers WeeklyStar Watch Honoree and received the Digital Book World Outstanding Achievement Award. She's the coauthor ofThe Insider's Guide to Book Publishing Success and author ofDerby Life. You can find her onTwitterorInstagramat @MargotAtwell, and read her writing in herOn the Books newsletter.

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Product Details

Publisher
Feminist Press at The City University of New York
Published
30th October 2025
Pages
272
ISBN
9781558613508

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