“I believe that history has shape, order, and meaning; that exceptional men, as much as economic forces, produce change; and that passe abstractions like beauty, nobility, and greatness have a shifting but continuing validity.”

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.