title: Discourse and identity in a corpus of lesbian erotica.
abstract: This article uses corpus linguistic methodologies to explore representations of lesbian desires and identities in a corpus of lesbian erotica from the 1980s and 1990s. We provide a critical examination of the ways in which "lesbian gender," power, and desire are represented, (re-)produced, and enacted, often in ways that challenge hegemonic discourses of gender and sexuality. By examining word frequencies and collocations, we critically analyze some of the themes, processes, and patterns of representation in the texts. Although rooted in linguistics, we hope this article provides an accessible, interdisciplinary, and timely contribution toward developing understandings of discursive practices surrounding gender and sexuality.
authors.affiliation: School of Arts and Humanities, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK. liz.morrish@ntu.ac.uk
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morrish
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sauntson
mesh_terms: D004882:Erotica / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008037:Linguistics; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012660:Semantics; D012933:Social Identification