Sex now, talk later

Sex matters. It is a crucial part of whom we are and what to do. So why do we police what is ‘normal’ and what is ‘bizarre’? As Estela Welldon argues in this insightful book, whenever we disapprove of others or ourselves in this way, we close our eyes to a deeper understanding of human nature. Dr Welldon is an internationally recognized expert on sexual diversity. As a psychiatrist, she has also worked inside prisons with sex offenders, so she is familiar with the extremes of ‘oddity’. Here, she uses a psychoanalytic framework with humour, insight and clarity to explore why we disapprove, and what we lose when we do. She presents us with a series of interwoven vignettes, drawn from clinical work and life experiences, which have led her to these conclusions. Dr Welldon argues in this book that as human beings we have a responsibility to develop a much more enquiring and open mind, and to feel privileged rather than disgusted when we have access to primitive fantasies that shine light into the dark corners of minds not considered ‘normal’. Be ready to live dangerously as you read these pages. The pursuit of understanding will take you deep inside the primitive and archaic origins of our present attitudes. All artworks by Ricardo Cinalli. Photographs by Ferdinando Maria Carabot