“Eroticism is mystique; that is, the aura of emotion and imagination around sex. It cannot be 'fixed' by codes of social or moral convenience, whether from the political left or right. For nature's fascism is greater than that of any society. There is a daemonic instability in sexual relations that we may have to accept.”

American academic, social critic, and feminist

Camille Anna Paglia is an American academic, social critic, and feminist. She taught at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia from 1984 until its closure in 2024. She is known for her sharp criticism of modern culture and for books such as Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson. Paglia has also argued against aspects of contemporary American feminism and post-structuralism. Her writing and commentary range across American culture, including visual art, music, and film history, and she is often associated with forceful, contrarian criticism.