(Image from The Rabbits’ Wedding by Garth Williams, 1958, which is a very good book to share if you’re trying to tell someone you love them).
So yes, in a couple of days time it’s St Valentine’s day. A time for celebrating love, friendship and romance.
It’s very easy to get cynical about the day and grumble on about commercialisation. So in the spirit of true love here are some romantic smackerels for you to enjoy alone or with those you cherish.
Firstly check out Charlie Murphy’s fantastic exhibition Anatomy of Desire which builds on her ‘kiss in’ work – capturing kisses and transforming them into glass sculptures. For those of us who study sex we’re indebted to Charlie for showing us how you can hold a kiss in your hand.
Going one better the Kinsey Institute are sharing their short film showing a collection of vintage sex ‘toys’ (or perhaps a better descriptions might be sex curiosities). Which is both charming and sexy. (Although I wish they’d used ‘Please Mr Hemingway’ as a backing track – this is an okay version, Elsie Carlisle does it better and a lot more saucily).
A few years ago I took part in a Valentine’s event at the Dana Centre called Comics’ Carnal Knowledge where sex researchers and comedians were teamed up to have fun with the science of sex. You can watch the whole event here.
Sex ed campaign ‘Where is your line?’ have a lovely Valentine’s inspired film about love and sex, through the medium of writing your desire in Sweethearts. Yum. (Seriously, you should really get on board and support these guys, they’re great).
And while we’re in a sweet as candy groove here’s the Valentine’s song that comes toddler approved – it’s our current top fave for dancing and singing along to – actually it’s not really romantic, but it is very bouncy!
Back by popular demand is the Department of Health Valentine’s promotion from a couple of years ago. There was a choice for the DH on this campaign where they had two spokespeople – Alesha Dixon, and me. There was the option to put spokesperson naked into a bath full of condoms and one in a studio to talk about safer sex. Alesha got the bath. I think we’re all agreed that was by far the best choice. (Little known fact, this is one of the most searched items on my blog, hardly surprising, eh?).
Meanwhile, for all my geeky friends xkcd comic has a Science Valentine cartoon which made me a bit sad….
So to get on to happier things, let’s finish with some romantic homework. Go track down Steve Tasane’s wonderful ‘Bleeding Heart’ (available in the book of the same name) and Benjamin Zephaniah’s ‘Cybersex’ (he also has an edited book of love poems that’s worth reading).
And I’ll leave you with one of my favourite romantic poems by ee cummings, which you’ll probably already know but it’s still lovely to share.
‘i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)’
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear;
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
Come back on Valentine’s Day when I’ll be going even more mushy on you and sharing my top ten love songs from musicals. Be warned, it might get a bit camp. And I might even make you cry.
Countdown to Valentine’s 2010
(Image from The Rabbits’ Wedding by Garth Williams, 1958, which is a very good book to share if you’re trying to tell someone you love them).
So yes, in a couple of days time it’s St Valentine’s day. A time for celebrating love, friendship and romance.
It’s very easy to get cynical about the day and grumble on about commercialisation. So in the spirit of true love here are some romantic smackerels for you to enjoy alone or with those you cherish.
Firstly check out Charlie Murphy’s fantastic exhibition Anatomy of Desire which builds on her ‘kiss in’ work – capturing kisses and transforming them into glass sculptures. For those of us who study sex we’re indebted to Charlie for showing us how you can hold a kiss in your hand.
The Wellcome Trust invite you to vote which of these 1920s Valentine’s day cards you like the best.
Going one better the Kinsey Institute are sharing their short film showing a collection of vintage sex ‘toys’ (or perhaps a better descriptions might be sex curiosities). Which is both charming and sexy. (Although I wish they’d used ‘Please Mr Hemingway’ as a backing track – this is an okay version, Elsie Carlisle does it better and a lot more saucily).
A few years ago I took part in a Valentine’s event at the Dana Centre called Comics’ Carnal Knowledge where sex researchers and comedians were teamed up to have fun with the science of sex. You can watch the whole event here.
Sex ed campaign ‘Where is your line?’ have a lovely Valentine’s inspired film about love and sex, through the medium of writing your desire in Sweethearts. Yum. (Seriously, you should really get on board and support these guys, they’re great).
“Ask Me” from Nancy Schwartzman on Vimeo.
And while we’re in a sweet as candy groove here’s the Valentine’s song that comes toddler approved – it’s our current top fave for dancing and singing along to – actually it’s not really romantic, but it is very bouncy!
Back by popular demand is the Department of Health Valentine’s promotion from a couple of years ago. There was a choice for the DH on this campaign where they had two spokespeople – Alesha Dixon, and me. There was the option to put spokesperson naked into a bath full of condoms and one in a studio to talk about safer sex. Alesha got the bath. I think we’re all agreed that was by far the best choice. (Little known fact, this is one of the most searched items on my blog, hardly surprising, eh?).
Meanwhile, for all my geeky friends xkcd comic has a Science Valentine cartoon which made me a bit sad….
So to get on to happier things, let’s finish with some romantic homework. Go track down Steve Tasane’s wonderful ‘Bleeding Heart’ (available in the book of the same name) and Benjamin Zephaniah’s ‘Cybersex’ (he also has an edited book of love poems that’s worth reading).
And I’ll leave you with one of my favourite romantic poems by ee cummings, which you’ll probably already know but it’s still lovely to share.
‘i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)’
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear;
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
Come back on Valentine’s Day when I’ll be going even more mushy on you and sharing my top ten love songs from musicals. Be warned, it might get a bit camp. And I might even make you cry.
Countdown to Valentine’s 2010Related posts