A list of links relevant to understanding the clitoris…
Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage by Rachel E. Gross is an illustrated book about women’s anatomy and the history of men getting it wrong. Rachel E. Gross is an award-winning science journalist who writes about bodies and bias in science. She was inspired to write the book after a persistent infection in her vagina, only to discover how little information there was on the vaginal microbiome and the role of the vagina in whole body health. The illustrations by Armando Veve are surreal and fanciful, as much commentary as art. Learn more in this excellent article at Pioneerworks.org.
Jessica Pin pictured here with a plastic model of the clitoris is an advocate for education about the clitoris and demands the anatomy of the clitoris be included in textbooks for medical students. You might think this would already be the case, but it’s not. Even med schools shun the female organ. Jessica had a labiaplasty when she was 18 that took so much of her tender flesh she is no longer able to orgasm. Read this interview with Jessica and Dr. Hannah Navri in HPHR (Harvard Public Health Review) published by the Boston Congress of Public Health.
To understand the clitoris and cultural taboos projected onto women’s bodies, consider for a moment breasts, and this new book about them, Tits Up: What Sex Workers, Milk Bankers, Plastic Surgeons, Bra Designers, and Witches Tell Us about Breasts by Sarah Thornton
Jana Brike, visual artist, “Selfie” exhibition, Stephanie Chefas gallery, Portland, USA / 2016
The sculpture in the above photo is called Tip of the Iceberg by Melissa “Syn” Barron, an art installation at Burning Man 2023
Billie Best is interviewed on the Radiant Badass podcast with Elizabeth Holmes to talk about CLITAPALOOZA. Have a listen and have a laugh. You deserve it.
This little tag was attached to a clitoris keychain fob that came with a Womanizer vibrator. If you’re interested the idea of a sex toy connected to an app on your phone, check this out.
This lovely illustration of the clitoris is by Sarai Llamas posted on International Female Orgasm Day on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Her message is «Stay with the one who makes you feel butterflies in your clitoris. Butterflies in your stomach is just hunger».
A blog post by Billie Best called Her flower blooms power that gives some background on the current state of feminism and the inspiration for her book Clitapalooza.
If you want to know what a ClitBit is, you have to read CLITAPALOOZA: Her flower blooms power.