Beyond Romance: Some Things Never Get Old (#academia #lesfic #bdsm)

By Jean Roberta (Guest Blogger)

Do you know what an infinitive is? Do you know how to apply the grammatical rule not to split an infinitive? If you are confused about such things, you might need some instruction from lesbian academic Domme Dr. Athena Chalkdust, a character who has told five of her erotic stories through me, Jean Roberta, her humble scribe.

Dr. Athena, the only child of two academics, is my alter ego. She first appeared in my mind in the year 2000 or thereabouts, and she breaks all the rules about how university professors should treat their students. She’s a fantasy figure, and I hope readers enjoy reading about her as much as I enjoyed writing her stories.

In her first outing, “Splitting the Infinitive,” Dr. Chalkdust lovingly teaches some life-lessons to her favourite student, Didrick Bent. This story first appeared in Best Lesbian Erotica 2001, and then in Best of the Best Lesbian Erotica, Volume 2 (Cleis Press, 2005).

In “My Debut as a Slut” (Best Lesbian Erotica 2005) and “Down Below” (Slave to Love: Sexy Tales of Erotic Restraint, 2006), Athena Chalkdust recounts her past, when she was still learning the ropes. In “The Placement of Modifiers” (Best Lesbian Erotica 2009), she has acquired tenure and a place of respect in the local queer community, and she teaches an impromptu lesson to a pushy butch in the bar.

In “Tears from Heaven,” Didrick Bent must make amends for her negligence while taking care of Dr. Chalkdust’s pet, a terrier puppy. This story is included in Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 (Cleis Press, 2016).

Here is an excerpt:

Didrick’s anxiety is palpable in the humid room as she tries to anticipate my next move. She expects to be struck. I decide not to give her what she expects. I wrap the belt around my waist and buckle it firmly.

I return to my captive, and casually run my fingernails down the damp skin stretched over her ribs. I press my head into the curve between her shoulder and her face, knowing that the scent of my hair will fill her nostrils. ‘You deserve punishment,’ I remind her softly, ‘but you won’t get it yet. It will happen when you’re not prepared. Don’t you think that’s appropriate, my girl?’

The bandage over her eyes is wet. ‘Yes, ma’am,’ she whimpers. I pull the clothespins on her nipples, and this makes her squirm.

I part her legs and attach clothespins to her inner labia. I can see her thighs trembling, her solid flesh paradoxically shivering like water. I light the two candles and set them on shelves where they create brave, fragile circles of light in the dusk. I know that Didrick can see them faintly from behind her bandage.

Here is a description of the five Dr. Chalkdust Stories, available for $2.99 U.S.:

Dr. Athena Chalkdust, named for an ancient goddess of wisdom, is not like any university professor you've ever met! Stunning, small but mighty, she knows the grammar of intense physical sensation. In these five stories, she describes her journey from submissive lesbian graduate student and junior faculty member to a scholarly Domme at the height of her power. Students in her classroom and uncouth dykes in the bar she co-owns learn not to give wrong answers to Dr. Chalkdust.

Known for her unorthodox teaching methods as well as her dark, hypnotic eyes and her perky breasts, Dr. Chalkdust fascinates everyone she meets.

The Dr. Chalkdust Stories are available here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dr-chalkdust-stories-jean-roberta/1127045300?type=eBook.

A word to the wise: I’ve always known that a real-life sexual relationship between a student and a teacher is not likely to enhance the learning process. It’s more likely to ruin two futures.

In the first-year English classes that I teach in the real world, students are expected to learn how to write academic essays based on logical arguments. (Example: Is the earth round? If so, produce some evidence.) Some of them have trouble writing clear, logical sentences because English is not their first language, and they’re not yet fluent in it. Other students find university English classes daunting because they were somehow able to graduate from secondary school without doing much writing.

Adding sex to these challenges would sink an already-overburdened boat. And it would be an abuse of the instructor’s power, even if the student made the first move.

Teacher-student sex fantasies are a staple of BDSM erotica, and the transgressive nature of the relationship makes it especially hot. As long as these roles are part of a game with no real-world consequences, the interaction can be compelling.

Writing, teaching, and sex are all art-forms that are worth practising for a lifetime, but not all at once. There is always something new to learn.

Can you name the author of “The Cask of Amontillado?” This classic horror story was the inspiration for the third Dr. Chalkdust story, “Down Below.” (My story ends much more happily than the original.) The first three people to give the correct answer will win a copy of The Dr. Chalkdust Stories.

About the Author

Jean Roberta lives on the Canadian prairies, where the vastness of land and sky encourage daydreaming. She teaches literature, composition and creative writing in the local university. Her diverse fiction (mostly erotic) has appeared in over 100 print anthologies, and in the single-author collection Obsession (Renaissance).

Her historical fiction includes The Princess and the Outlaw: Tales of the Torrid Past (Lethe Press) plus The Flight of the Black Swan: A Bawdy Novella (Lethe, also in audio). She coedited Heiresses of Russ 2015 (Lethe), an annual anthology of the year’s best lesbian speculative fiction. Her story about a legendary triangle, Under the Sign of the Dragon (based on Sir Thomas Malory’s tale of the conception of King Arthur, 1485) is available from eXcessica (http://excessica.com). Her story about a vampire and his traditional enemies, “A Ripple in the Air,” appears in Unearthly Delights: Tales of Paranormal Desire, launched on Excessica just in time for Halloween.