Mary Ware Dennett 
The Sex Side of Life 

In ‘The Sex Side of Life’ by Mary Ware Dennett, the author explores the intersection of sexuality, gender, and society through a collection of essays that challenge traditional views on these topics. Dennett’s writing style is straightforward yet thought-provoking, making her arguments accessible to a wide audience. Published in 1919, during a time of great social change and feminist movements, this book was considered controversial for its advocacy of birth control and sexual education. Dennett’s work serves as a testament to her progressive views and willingness to challenge societal norms. As a famous suffragist and advocate for women’s rights, Dennett’s personal experiences and knowledge of social movements undoubtedly influenced the writing of this book. Through ‘The Sex Side of Life’, readers can gain insight into the historical context of early 20th-century sexuality and feminism. I highly recommend this book to those interested in the history of women’s rights movements, feminism, and the evolving perspectives on sexuality in society.

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Mary Ware Dennett (1872–1947) was a pioneering American advocate for women’s rights, particularly in the realms of birth control and sex education. Her foray into the literary world is most notably marked by her controversial booklet ‘The Sex Side of Life: An Explanation for Young People’ (1918). Aimed at educating adolescents about sex in a frank and positive manner, the booklet was born of Dennett’s own experience as a mother seeking to enlighten her sons with factual sex education after finding the available resources severely lacking. Dennett’s literary style in this work eschews the euphemisms and ambiguities that characterized the sex education discourse of her time. Instead, she opted for clear, direct language that treated sex as a natural part of life. This stance landed her in conflict with the legal system of the early 20th century, leading to her conviction under the Comstock laws for distributing ‘obscene’ material—a conviction that was later overturned on appeal. Dennett’s advocacy and literary contributions played a significant role in the eventual liberalization of sexual education materials and the movement towards a more open dialogue about human sexuality.