RULINGS ON 19 BOOKS; FIVE TO BE BANNED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31835, 13 November 1968, Page 40

RULINGS ON 19 BOOKS; FIVE TO BE BANNED

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, November 12.

The Indecent Publications Tribunal yesterday ruled five books indecent, eight indecent in the hands of persons under 18, and five books and a magazine not indecent.

The decisions were announced by the chairman of the tribunal, Mr L. G. H. Sinclair, S.M.

The books ruled indecent were “Francon Duclos: The Memoirs of a Paris Madame,” by the Marquis de Sade, a translation by P. J. Gillette; “The Young Temptress,” by Stephen Harding; “Smalltown Sex Today,” by Victor J. Banis, and “Hollywood’s Sexual Underground,” by Roger Jordan, all published by Medico Books, Los Angeles: and “Lesbianism and the Single Girl,” by Roger Blake.

Qualified Ruling Those ruled indecent in the hands of persons under 18 were: “Twilight Women Around the World,” by R. Leighton Hasselrodt, published by Luxor Press, London: “Lesbian Love, Old and New,” by Dr Walter Braun (Luxor Press); “Venus in Furs” together with “The

Black Czarina," by Leopold Sacher-Masoch, translated by H. J. Stenning: “The Cruel and the Meek,” by Dr Walter Braun; “Women and the Sea,” by Richard Trekaskis, and “Nudist ABC,” both published by Elysium Inc., Los Angeles; and “Ladies On Call,” by Lee Francis.

One book, “My Secret Life,” by an unknown writer, was ruled indecent except in the hands of those persons over 18 whose professional or academic studies properly extend into the field covered by the book.

Not Indecent The books declared not indecent were: “QUerelle of Brest,” by Jean Genet, translated from the French by Gregory Streatham; “Myra Breckenridge,” by Gore Vidal; “Oriental Love in Action,” by Giovanni Comisso, published by Luxor Press; “Secret Techniques of Erotic Delight,” by Dr Vyvyan Howarth (Luxor): and “Satyricon: Memoirs of a Lusty Roman,” by Titus Petronius Arbiter, reconstructed in modern English by P. J. Gillette. De Sade’s Book

Of de Sade’s book, which was submitted by the Seven Seas Publishing Company but whose counsel said the company wished to dissociate itself from the book, the tribunal said: “In its unrevised, incomplete, and textuallycrude form, it has no literary interest to redeem it, and it contains some of the philosophic content which may be found in some of de Sade’s later writings. The most that can be said is that the recital of perversion might be of interest to those professionally concerned with abnormal psychology, and that the phenomenon of de Sade can only be seriously studied if the necessary raw materials, in the form of fundamental texts, are available. Mr Sinclair said: “We can see no redeeming virture in the present volume, and accordingly decide that it is indecent.”

“Injurious” Referring to “The Young Temptresses,” “Small-town Sex Today” and “Hollywood Sex - —’ Underground,” which wet also submitted by the Seven Seas Publishing Company, Mr Sinclair said: “All I three books deal with sex in I a manner we deem to be inI jurious to the public good.”

Of the books declared not indecent, Mr Sinclair said that “Myra Breckenridge” was

highly-sophisticated and up-to-the-minute satire on the vapidity of life and values in a commercialised culture. “Like most . parodies, it makes its points effective by a witty, allusive style and by exaggeration of incident. “The main charactei, who is also the narrator, has undergone a sex change (and suffers a reversion), and sexual abl erations abound—but the presentation is openly amusing, not pruriently erotic, and forms a necessary part of the greater social evil of vulgarity generated by commercialised art forms.

“Given this general theme and purpose, passages which might offend if taken out of context, fall naturally into place and are quite consistent with the imaginative purpose of the book as a whole.”

“Uncompromising Honesty” Mr Sinclair said that “Querelle of Brest” taken as a whole left one "impressed with the nature of evil, which far from asking to be realised by imitation, must be faced, understood and overcome.” While it may have suffered somewhat in translation, the book evinced an uncompromising honesty of intention and artistic integrity. Of “Satyricon: Memoirs of a Lusty Roman,” Mr Sinclair said: “Given the classical status of the text, the moral tone inseparable from the satiric purposes of the book, and the degree of responsibility shown in this instance by the editor, the tribunal decides that the book is not indecent.”

“Readable Tale” Mr Sinclair said that "Oriental Love in Action," which was declared not indecent, was a readable tale of average merit, and did not deserve the cover by which the publishers sought to promote it. Referring to "Secret Techniques of Erotic Delight,” Mr Sinclair said the cover did a disservice to the contents, the title was falsely suggestive, and the back-cover review began in a misleading tone. He said: “There is no doubt that the information and counsel offered would be of help to many persons, in middle age as well as in youth, who wish to achieve a satisfying sex relationship.” Referring to “My Secret Life” (listed above), Mr Sinclair said: “There is in this autobiography nothing but unrelieved obsession with sex

and sexual incidents, described in full and repetitive detail.”