This class will focus not on erotica but on literary sex scenes that function in various ways to propel a larger narrative. Writing good fictional sex means writing good fiction that has something to do with sex — from the bawdy bacchanal to the subtlest of verbal seductions. After all, when are characters more vulnerable and ripe for scrutiny and development than in intimate interactions?

As a springboard for discussion, guests will examine short story and novel excerpts, ranging from the classics (Tolstoy and Flaubert) to such contemporary writers as Lorrie Moore, John Updike and Charles Baxter. The class will conclude with writing exercises and include a handout/bibliography.