My favorite Italo Calvino story, relating to Lady Godiva of course, is Mr. Palomar (1983), including this moment in an encounter on a nudist beach. "Returning from his stroll, Palomar again passes that bather, and this time he keeps his eyes fixed straight ahead, so that his gaze touches

Bruno Bettelheim was a brilliant man but, faults or not, he has been the victim of some extraordinary character assassinations, enough to make one wonder about the sanity of his inquisitors. Consider the evaluation below and wonder what was really on their minds... Executive summary: Fraudulent child psychologist Many of

Who knew? And why seven? Dr. Seuss's The Seven Lady Godivas (1939)...but you won't see this one at the local bookshop. It was one of his earliest books and it didn't sell well. Its full title is The Seven Lady Godivas: The True

A classic movie, full of visually striking images, great songs, hilarious dialogue and even pathos. This photo above is from one of those songs - "Pettin' in the Park." The cast are caught in a rainstorm and they go backstage to change out of their wet clothes.

Film poster for Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955), which stars Maureen O'Hara. Other film versions include a Hollywood silent film Lady Godiva, (1911) shown immediately below, and a German film Lady Godiva (1921), which was released in the U.S., shown below that. Updated versions include Lady Godiva

This bronze statue by Sir William Reid Dick, installed in 1949, is the main Lady Godiva shrine in downtown Coventry. Technically, it's name is Self Sacrifice. The pastoral setting in the photo above is now long gone. These days the square is paved over (boring in my opinion)

In the caricature above by James Gillray (1796), that's Peeping Tom enjoying the view. The picture is called Lady Godina's Rout--or--Peeping Tom spying out Pope Joan. Lady Godina (note the spelling) is in the center; Pope Joan is the card game these fashionable types are playing.

Sexting, webcam porn and the whole TikTok phenomena are just the latest instance of reality outstripping the censors. Literally one might say. It's unstoppable of course as kids take their clothes off all over the world and it has been wonderful to see parents defend them against censorious

Although Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele are by the far best known Viennese painters of erotic subjects, there were many others. Peter Fendi (1796–1842) was an accomplished painter and lithographer from earlier in the 19th century, but he is much better known for his erotic art, although there is

This is what you get for being a Peeping Tom. Titian's painting is as appalling as Ovid's story, based on a Greek myth. When Diana thinks the hunter Actaeon has been a Peeping Tom, and he may have been in the wrong place at the wrong