Jessica M. Floyd with Steven Dashiell: THE SONS OF NEPTUNE

Let’s all take a look at the subtitle of Jessica M. Floyd’s new book: Tracing the Archetype of the Erotic Sailor?! We saw that, and thought, let’s spend an evening unpacking it.

In The Sons of Neptune, she reveals how the sailor became a canvas for fantasies of gender and sexual ambiguity since the 18th century. At the heart of the book lies a deep interrogation of cultural desire–a fascination with the sailor’s paradoxical role as both agent and object, stable figure and shapeshifter.

Navigating the complex waters of masculinity, queerness, and iconography, The Sons of Neptune brings into focus a ubiquitous yet understudied figure whose legacy still ripples through literature, art, and cultural history.

Dr. Steven Dashiell from the Center for Urban Health Equity at Morgan State University will join Dr. Floyd in conversation. We hope to see you there, too!