KafkaRotica: Erotically Written Literary Fiction by Hannah Bennett and Peter Clark, Guest Blogger
Hannah Bennett is a WNBA-NYC member and former Blog Editor. She graduated from Pace University in 2012 with a Masters in Publishing, and currently works as an ebook Production Manager.
A bead of a sweat caked above the brow of famed Greek poet Straton of Sardis. Muses swirled about him in the summer sun. Through a fog, a haze of imagined firmaments, a whisper of glorious lyrics kissed his ears. He leaned closer to catch more of those fleeting rhymes, and then, in a flurry of excitement, he penned:
“Were you a novice I’d tried to persuade
To vice, you might be right to be afraid;
But since your master’s bed taught you a lot,
Why not treat someone else to what you’ve got?”
Wait. What? That doesn’t sound like classical Greek poetry. It sounds almost like, well, erotica. In fact, it wasn’t until the 20th century that these poems from the 3rd century A.D. were even translated.
Today we know that many of history’s greatest writers also dipped their pens, as it were, into the topic of sexuality. Erotica has been written in almost every language since the invention of the written word, and was certainly told around campfires long before that as part of the great “oral tradition.”
Mark Twain, for example, wrote 1601, a book once deemed “the most famous piece of pornography in American literature.” Anne Rice wrote erotic BDSM in The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty. And Kafka? Well, it was recently discovered that Kafka had a “porn stash” including erotic drawings by the surrealist storyteller. Though their legacies were in literary fiction, classic authors have long been inspired by the erotic.
It is this erotic legacy that we carry on with the creation of KafkaRotica–erotica written in the tone and style of classic authors. The website, kafkarotica.com, is launching March 3rd, and 
will feature such original short stories as “The Thoreaus of Passion,” “Camus’ Sutra,” and “Shake My Speare.” The website will also feature parody poetry, modern originals, and more. In this vein, we strive to blend the literary and the libidinous, and to bring laughter and exposure to an often-concealed genre.
Help us celebrate the launch of our new website by coming to our launch party on March 3rd! The first 75 people will receive a free drink voucher! The event is at Parkside Lounge, 317 E Houston St, from 7:30-9:30 pm. Come out and enjoy some erotic readings, live music, and free drinks in thanks for being a part of our beloved NYC literary community.
KafkaRotica is launching March 3rd. Check out the website, kafkarotica.com, and follow them on Twitter @KafkaRotica!
