So I’ve just started reading
Sperm Counts: Overcome by Man’s Most Precious Fluid by feminist sociologist (and lesbian mother of two) Lisa Jean Moore and I tell ya, someone over at NYU Press had a wee bit of fun writing her flap copy. “Moore offers a penetrating exploration…” “Sperm Counts examines the many places sperm rears its head.” And of course, the subtitle. But my favorite is the fact that there is a drawing of a squiggly little sperm positioned at a slightly different spot on every single page and if you flip through the book real fast, the sperm seems to swim. Try it. It’s fun.

On the serious side, this looks like an incredibly well-researched and captivating read. Moore looks at children’s birds-and-bees books, forensic transcripts, porn, and sperm bank brochures to offer this biography qua cultural history of modern-day sperm. Check out Thomas Rogers’ seminal interview with Moore over on Salon. I’ve got a suggestion for the sequel: Egg Matters. More to come. Ok ok, I’ll stop while I’m ahead.