# Name this classic short story anthology about industrial America with lewd scenes in it **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 29, 2015, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466 "2015-07-29T12:17:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Supreme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Supreme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Supreme)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/1 "2015-07-29T12:17:07Z")
In school many years ago I was forced to read what would be considered a “short story cycle.” From what I recall it had new characters each story but it crossed the different eras of American civilization. The novel’s distinguishing theme however was inexplicable and frequent depictions of sexual conduct. For example, one story is wholly dedicated to a romance between a woman who is a leader of some budding movement (she may have been feminist) and some guy, but when they make it to the bedroom near the very of the chapter/story, a black servant bursts out of the closet spilling his load everywhere. And then the chapter ends. I can’t recall the name of this novel, but once it’s identified I stuck it in this subforum to discuss what exactly the point of it was. The obvious message, it seems to me, is that America’s progression was influenced by its leaders’ sexuality (as if that’s some great insight). I also call it a classic but it may not strictly be one. Hard to say without remembering the title. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/2 "2015-07-29T12:26:20Z")
_Workhouse Forum_ ? ---
**Author:** ![Supreme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Supreme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Supreme)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/3 "2015-07-29T12:52:16Z")
No…was that a joke? I googled it and nothing came up. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/4 "2015-07-29T13:02:53Z")
Narrowing down when “many years ago” can help. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/5 "2015-07-29T13:31:14Z")
> [@Supreme](#): > > In school many years ago I was forced to read what would be considered a “short story cycle.” From what I recall it had new characters each story but it crossed the different eras of American civilization. > > The novel’s distinguishing theme however was inexplicable and frequent depictions of sexual conduct. For example, one story is wholly dedicated to a romance between a woman who is a leader of some budding movement (she may have been feminist) and some guy, but when they make it to the bedroom near the very of the chapter/story, a black servant bursts out of the closet spilling his load everywhere. And then the chapter ends. > > I can’t recall the name of this novel, but once it’s identified I stuck it in this subforum to discuss what exactly the point of it was. The obvious message, it seems to me, is that America’s progression was influenced by its leaders’ sexuality (as if that’s some great insight). > > I also call it a classic but it may not strictly be one. Hard to say without remembering the title. Pretty sure you’re talking about “Ragtime” by E.L. Doctorow- there’s a scene where a guy finally is about to get laid, and some dude jumps out of a closet “clutching in his hands, as if trying to choke it, a rampant penis which, scornful of his intentions, whipped him about the floor, launching to his cries of ecstasy or despair, great filamented spurts of jism that traced the air like bullets and then settled slowly over Evelyn in her bed like falling ticker tape.” ---
**Author:** ![Supreme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Supreme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Supreme)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/6 "2015-07-29T13:41:01Z")
You got it, that’s definitely it. I recall skimming most of the book after that. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/7 "2015-07-29T19:45:27Z")
I had to read it for a college english class. That scene cracked me up because I kind of imagined it as if Steve Martin had popped out of the closet. Otherwise I didn’t much enjoy the book; it seemed not to really get to any point or resolve anything- it was just sort of observational about that era. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/8 "2015-07-29T20:52:35Z")
OTOH, in this [memorial thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=762995) for Doctorow, who died on July 21, people are singing the praises of Ragtime. I love Doctorow, but Ragtime is not one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/9 "2015-07-30T04:38:29Z")
Was Jimmy Cagney in that particular scene when the movie version came out? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/10 "2015-07-30T06:19:10Z")
> [@Supreme](#): > > No…was that a joke? I googled it and nothing came up. Substitute “Penthouse” for “Workhouse”… ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/11 "2015-07-30T08:58:42Z")
Chapter 8 is what you’re looking for, here. > **[Ragtime Part I, Chapters 7–9 Summary & Analysis | SparkNotes](https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/ragtime/section3/)** > > A summary of Part X (Section3) in E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Ragtime and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/12 "2015-07-30T15:47:21Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Pretty sure you’re talking about “Ragtime” by E.L. Doctorow- there’s a scene where a guy finally is about to get laid, and some dude jumps out of a closet “clutching in his hands, as if trying to choke it, a rampant penis which, scornful of his intentions, whipped him about the floor, launching to his cries of ecstasy or despair, great filamented spurts of jism that traced the air like bullets and then settled slowly over Evelyn in her bed like falling ticker tape.” I’ve never read Ragtime, but reading the above I instantly remembered this scene being in John Gardner’s _On Moral Fiction_. Gardner’s complaint: > [@](#): > > Even in the hands of young and highly excited men, penises do not behave as Doctorow maintains. ---
**Author:** ![Supreme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Supreme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Supreme)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/13 "2015-07-30T17:19:01Z")
So it was a lesbian sex scene, not feminist. Still, the penis seems to be behaving quite normally to me. Although why he burst out of the closet is beyond me. Again, this is definitely where I stopped reading. Not that I wasn’t entertained, but I agree with sentiments ITT that Ragtime was a pointless book. I would have enjoyed it more probably if Chapter 8 were the theme of the entire novel, however… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-classic-short-story-anthology-about-industrial-america-with-lewd-scenes-in-it/726466/14 "2015-07-30T17:29:36Z")
When you have really good acting words will fail you.