"I believe that today more than ever a book should be sought after even if it has only one great page in it," wrote Henry Miller in his 1934 novel Tropic of Cancer. "We must search for fragments . . .
"I believe that today more than ever a book should be sought after even if it has only one great page in it," wrote Henry Miller in his 1934 novel Tropic of Cancer. "We must search for fragments, splinters, toenails, anything that has ore in it, anything that is capable of resuscitating the body and soul." For Miller, the early-twentieth century writer known for his unprecedented sexual candor, writing explicitly about sex was less about a desire to shock than it was about a need to present complete stories. More than seven decades later, eyebrow-raising depictions of sex in fiction are hardly unusual. However, honest literary sex scenes capable of "resuscitating the body and soul" are surprisingly rare.
With that in mind, every month Nerve will present you with five nominees for our monthly Henry Miller Award. These scenes will be excerpted from new fiction that we feel should be sought out on the merit of these passages alone. Which of these five passages paints the most complete picture? You decide. Each month's highest-ranked entry will proceed to the year-end competition. Two winners of that contest will be announced: grand prize (as chosen by a panel of a celebrity judges) and readers' choice. Both winners will be awarded a personalized early-twentieth-century iron. The judges' pick will also receive $1,934, commemorating the publication date of Tropic of Cancer.
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