The Rumor: A Novel

Pierre-Jean de Béranger (19 August 1780 – 16 July 1857) was a prolific French poet and chansonnier (songwriter), who enjoyed great popularity and influence in France during his lifetime, but faded into obscurity in the decades following his death. He has been described as “the most popular French songwriter of all time” and “the first superstar […]

Sylvain Maréchal (15 August 1750 – 18 January 1803) was a French essayist, poet, philosopher and political theorist, whose views presaged utopian socialism and communism. His views on a future golden age are occasionally described as utopian anarchism. He was editor of the newspaper Révolutions de Paris. Born in Paris as the son of a […]

According to late Greek sources on classical mythology, Astyanassa (Ancient Greek: Ἀστυάνασσα) was Helen of Troy’s maid. The 10th century scholar Photius, citing Ptolemy Chennus, mentions the story that Aphrodite lent her magical embroidered band (kestos himas) to Helen, to ensure that Paris would fall in love with her, and that Astyanassa stole it.[1] The […]

Baroness Gertrud von Puttkamer (Gertrud Freifrau von Puttkamer in German; born Gertrud Günther, 4 April 1881 – 30 September 1944), also known by her nom de plume Marie-Madeleine, was a German writer of lesbian-themed erotic literature and homoerotic poetry. Her first book, Auf Kypros, sold over one million copies during her lifetime. Gertrud Günther was born […]

Rupert Smith is an American-born English author.[1] He has written novels and biographies under his birth name, and is also known for his genre novels that have a gay pornographic motif, and are aimed primarily at homosexual men.[2] These novels are published under the pen name James Lear. A third name, Rupert James, is used […]