I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I asked to review Laura Szumowski’s Tip of The Iceberg. I’d seen illustrations from it here and there on the Internet. They were super cute and I wanted a few of them as posters/on a t-shirt/as coasters. Once I got a copy in my hands, I soon realized that this tiny book is so much more than that.
Along with Nick Karras’ Petals, Tip of the Iceberg quickly became a book that I wish someone would have placed in my hands ten years ago. I probably would’ve learned more about my body from its 56 pages than I did in the two mandatory sex(less) education courses I took in high school. In those courses, sex was all about anatomical cross-sections and never pleasure — especially if you happened to be female-bodied and/or queer. Homosexuality was only briefly discussed, and that was in correlation with HIV/AIDS. I wound up learning more about my gay little body through ask dot com and awkward adolescent fumblings than I did my sterile health textbook. This story isn’t really unique to me within the queer community, or even our hetero counterparts. But here’s the thing: It’s actually not impossible to talk about sexual pleasure for female-bodied people in an inclusive way. Tip of the Iceberg is an itty bitty testament to that.
The ‘iceberg’ in question is the clitoris, which is a much more expansive organ than anyone could ever imagine. You’re probably familiar with the statistics about how many nerve endings it contains, and maybe even the “Who needs a handgun when you can have a semi-automatic?” joke from The Vagina Monologues in which the clitoris is compared to the humble penis.
But Szumowski goes deeper than that (all puns intended). There are chapters devoted to all the parts of clitoral anatomy that we never talk about, and fun facts about Kegels and female ejaculation. My favorite chapter is one which covers the history of the clitoris and how it was relatively uncharted territory until urologist Helen O’Connell mapped its extensive structure with an MRI in 1998. Maybe the secret is in the adorable reproductive caricatures, but Tip of the Iceberg somehow escapes the preachiness that usually comes with discussing how female-assigned-at-birth anatomy has been poked, prodded, misinterpreted, and even deemed the cause of insanity by cisgender male medical professionals since the dawn of time. The book stands well enough on its own; it doesn’t need a soapbox.
One of the things I love so much about Tip of the Iceberg is that Szumouski uses gender-neutral language throughout the entire text. While Szumowski interacts with the reader, she never once assumes that reader identifies as male or female, or that all people with clitorises identify as women. There are also no assumptions made about whether the reader has queer or straight sex. The book covers all of those bases in such an organic way that Szumowski makes my high school health teacher resemble Coach Carr’s female doppelganger, right down to the tracksuit.
When I eventually pop out wild-haired babies one day in the unforeseeable future, I will make sure that they have this book — along with The Berenstain Bears and Amelia Bedelia — tucked away somewhere on a shelf.
I was going to Amazon today to buy a new self help book and the Olsen Twin coffee table book (because Santa keeps forgetting)I will have to add this to the list because you can never be too well informed about the clitoris.
olsen twin coffee table book forever <3
a CLIT COMIC BOOK!!! I feel like people need to be more excited about this. on my reading list!
rest assured, i am VERY excited about this!
I WANT IT
GIVE IT TO MEEEEEEE
http://www.zoo-mouse-key.com/books/iceberg.html
Woah, I was obsessed with Amelia Bedelia and the Berstein bears when I was younger. Also, the magic tree house series. Looking back, I realized my favourite book out of that series used to be when Annie turns into a knight on a horse.
But yeah, i’ll definitely be reading this, sounds amazing! I love feminist/queer comics.
Not in my public library system yet. And I’m po’. OMG I love comics, and clits, and good sexual/reproduction educational resources.
You might be able to order it through InterLibrary Loan (ILL) – ask at the circulation desk.
This looks good! But why Berenstain bears? My radical feminist parents discouraged me from even looking at them at the dentist’s office because they reinforced too many gender stereotypes (something about sister bear always wearing pink bows? I never saw enough to really know).
Laura Szumowski also has a book called Cycling, a guide to menstruation! How freaking awesome is that.
This is an awesome review of a really awesome book. Unfortunately, Ms. Fonseca neglected to mention where we can get it… You’re welcome!
http://www.zoo-mouse-key.com/books/iceberg.html
What an excellent review, thank you!
Unfortunately, Tip of the Iceberg isn’t available through most libraries as it is self-published. You can order it directly from http://www.zmkpress.com, or have your library order it.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Laura
Is it still possible to have your book?
confused person confusing others. You are not born gay. You make a choice often subconsciously and then support it through action and believe it by re enforcement. Sadly you spew your venom on youth…get your fucking mind right or at least don’t influence others. You use that premise on what others did to you and you are so fucking blind you preach it to others. If you want to chase lust at least have the courage to understand that is your morality not your clit. Animals like dogs do this…
moderators please remove this comment
Please! Before someone is tempted to fact check which animals do and don’t have a particular organ I’m 100% sure dogs don’t but no way I am gunna fact check that.
JFGI try DFGI (Don’t Fucking Google It)
And also because of the hateful language.
Mostly that.
Hi Laura
Is it still possible to have your book?