Elinor Glyn
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Elinor Glyn (October 17, 1864 - September 23, 1943), born Nellie Sutherland in Jersey, was the author of It, Three Weeks, Beyond the Rocks, and other novels in a similarly softcore vein. Glyn was also the sister of Titanic survivor and fashion designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon.
Although her writing would not be considered scandalous by 21st century standards, she pioneered mass-market women's erotic fiction. She coined the use of It as a euphemism for sexuality, or sex appeal.
On the back of the popularity and notoriety of her books, she moved to Hollywood where she promoted the concept of the vamp, helping to make a star of actress Clara Bow (the It Girl).
A scriptwriter for the early movie industry, she also had a brief career as one of the earliest female directors.
She is the subject of the doggerel:
Would you sin
With Elinor Glyn
On a tiger skin
Or perhaps you'd prefer
To err with her
On some other fur?
which was inspired by a scene from Three Weeks [1] (http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/8899).
External link
- A 2004 essay by Louise Harrington (http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1773) (Cardiff University), from The Literary Encyclopedia