Back in the Victorian Era, many Americans believed that if a man squandered his "male essence,” he’d erode his might, intelligence, moral tenacity, and sanity. Clearly, anything that encouraged him to do so was the work of the devil. Which is why the first “romance” publications in the U.S., which popped up around 1860 in New York City, were sold surreptitiously. This practice was tolerated until 1868, when a young Christian bookkeeper from...Continue Reading