The CARAS Reading Group meets monthly to discuss readings relevant to current scholarship and clinical practice addressing Kink, Leather, and BDSM communities. A cross between a literary salon and a graduate seminar, the CARAS Reading Group engages these texts and ideas from a unique angle in the study of sexualities.
The CARAS reading group is conducted in two complementary “semesters.” The Classics semester is focused on key readings and ideas that took shape during the late 19th to mid 20th century period, and the Modern semester is focused on topics that have gained prominence in the late 20th to 21st centuries.
Beginning in 2026, the Reading Group will be conducted each year from August through December, with the Classics and Modern semesters offered in alternating years. The Modern semester will next be offered in 2026, and the Classics semester in 2027.
Please click on the links below for current information about each semester of the CARAS Reading Group.
Modern Semester
The Modern semester is organized topically and will focus on issues that have gained prominence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Classics Semester
The Classics semester’s focus is on classic and canonical readings relevant to the history of Kink and modern scholarship addressing Kink/BDSM. Readings focus on the late 19th to mid-20th century period.