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Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

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Published:
Grove Atlantic 2015
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Description
“A delightful and informative look at nudism throughout history and around the world.” —The Seattle Times
 
People have been getting naked in public for reasons other than sex for centuries. But as Mark Haskell Smith reveals, being a nudist is more complicated than simply dropping trou. “Nonsexual social nudism,” as it’s called, rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century. Intellectuals, outcasts, and health nuts from Victorian England and colonial India to Belle Époque France and Gilded Age Manhattan disrobed and wrote manifestos about the joys of going clothing-free. From stories of ancient Greek athletes slathered in olive oil to the millions of Germans who fled the cities for a naked frolic during the Weimar Republic to American soldiers given “naturist” magazines by the Pentagon in the interest of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, this book uncovers nudism’s amusing and provocative past.
 
Coated in multiple layers of high SPF sunblock, Haskell Smith publicly disrobes for the first time in Palm Springs; observes the culture of family nudism in a clothing-free Spanish town; and travels to the largest nudist resort in the world, a hedonist’s paradise in the south of France. He reports on San Francisco’s controversial ban on public nudity, participates in a week of naked hiking in the Austrian Alps, and caps off his adventures with a week on a Caribbean cruise known as the Big Nude Boat.
 
Equal parts cultural history and gonzo participatory journalism, Naked at Lunch is “an absolute hoot” (Los Angeles Magazine) and “a total joy” (Meghan Daum).
 
“Smith puts on his reporter’s hat and takes off everything else as he explores the history and sociology of nudism.” —Los Angeles Times
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Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
06/02/2015
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780802191786
ASIN:
B00PSSG47C
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Mark Haskell Smith. (2015). Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World. Grove Atlantic.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Mark Haskell Smith. 2015. Naked At Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World. Grove Atlantic.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Mark Haskell Smith, Naked At Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World. Grove Atlantic, 2015.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Mark Haskell Smith. Naked At Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World. Grove Atlantic, 2015.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 16:20:26
Date Updated:
Aug 16, 2023 08:17:30
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      • bioText: Mark Haskell Smith is the author of five novels, Moist, Delicious, Salty, Baked, and Raw, and the non-fiction Heart of Dankness: Underground Botanists, Outlaw Farmers, and the Race for the Cannabis Cup. His work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Vulture, National Post, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Smith is an award-winning screenwriter and assistant professor in the MFA program for Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Riverside, Palm Desert Graduate Center. He lives in Los Angeles. He likes Mexican food.
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title
Naked at Lunch
fullDescription
“A delightful and informative look at nudism throughout history and around the world.” —The Seattle Times
 
People have been getting naked in public for reasons other than sex for centuries. But as Mark Haskell Smith reveals, being a nudist is more complicated than simply dropping trou. “Nonsexual social nudism,” as it’s called, rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century. Intellectuals, outcasts, and health nuts from Victorian England and colonial India to Belle Époque France and Gilded Age Manhattan disrobed and wrote manifestos about the joys of going clothing-free. From stories of ancient Greek athletes slathered in olive oil to the millions of Germans who fled the cities for a naked frolic during the Weimar Republic to American soldiers given “naturist” magazines by the Pentagon in the interest of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, this book uncovers nudism’s amusing and provocative past.
 
Coated in multiple layers of high SPF sunblock, Haskell Smith publicly disrobes for the first time in Palm Springs; observes the culture of family nudism in a clothing-free Spanish town; and travels to the largest nudist resort in the world, a hedonist’s paradise in the south of France. He reports on San Francisco’s controversial ban on public nudity, participates in a week of naked hiking in the Austrian Alps, and caps off his adventures with a week on a Caribbean cruise known as the Big Nude Boat.
 
Equal parts cultural history and gonzo participatory journalism, Naked at Lunch is “an absolute hoot” (Los Angeles Magazine) and “a total joy” (Meghan Daum).
 
“Smith puts on his reporter’s hat and takes off everything else as he explores the history and sociology of nudism.” —Los Angeles Times
reviews
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from February 16, 2015
        Throwing both caution and clothing to the wind, novelist and journalist Haskell Smith (Heart of Darkness) strikes a winning combination of personal and journalistic narrative as he investigates the appeal of nudism. Though he’s not above making more than a few jokes about swinging genitalia, Haskell Smith does an admirable job of keeping the narrative respectful as he conducts numerous interviews with naked people to find out why they like nudism so much. Its origins are murky: nudism has been a popular pastime since the late 19th century, and Haskell Smith charts its evolution from nudist clubs in the 1920s to the estimated $440 million industry it is today. Haskell Smith visits nudist colonies and nude beaches, embarks on nude hikes, and even takes a nude cruise. What he expected to be salacious quickly becomes boring but ultimately refreshing, from both a physical perspective and an emotional one—over time, everybody’s body issues seem to dissipate. Haskell Smith’s empathy and genuine interest in nudism and its appeal make this account both informative and entertaining. He’s usually laughing with his subjects rather than at them, and the arc of his education on this topic makes for a witty and insightful read. Agent: Mary Evans, Mary Evans Inc.

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        August 1, 2015

        Novelist and journalist Smith took off his clothes, put on his sunscreen, and immersed himself in his subject to write this lighthearted look at the world of "nonsexual social nudism." Primarily a work of participatory journalism, the title follows Smith as he takes a naked cruise, hikes nude in the Austrian Alps, visits nudist resorts in Palm Springs and the South of France, and visits a clothing-free town in Spain. His observations of the culture of nudism are interesting and provide a glimpse into a world most people have not experienced. The book is often humorous, but Smith does a fine job of being jokey without poking mean fun. The text also provides some cultural background of nudism, describing nudist movements in history, especially the rise of nudism in the 19th century in Europe and the United States. He explores the legal situation for nudists and asks questions about the restriction on personal liberty that banning nakedness can represent. VERDICT Overall, a fun and informative book. The author is whimsical and witty in his approach, while taking his subject seriously and treating the people he depicts with respect and dignity.--Rachel Bridgewater, Portland Community Coll. Lib., OR

        Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

popularity
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“A delightful and informative look at nudism throughout history and around the world.” —The Seattle Times
 
People have been getting naked in public for reasons other than sex for centuries. But as Mark Haskell Smith reveals, being a nudist is more complicated than simply dropping trou. “Nonsexual social nudism,” as it’s called, rose to prominence in the late nineteenth century. Intellectuals, outcasts, and health nuts from Victorian England and colonial India to Belle Époque France and Gilded Age Manhattan disrobed and wrote manifestos about the joys of going clothing-free. From stories of ancient Greek athletes slathered in olive oil to the millions of Germans who fled the cities for a naked frolic during the Weimar Republic to American soldiers given “naturist” magazines by the Pentagon in the interest of preventing sexually transmitted diseases, this book uncovers nudism’s amusing and...
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