Steampunk smut author Shanna Germain brings the New York Times to task for the opening lines to their story The Mad Scientist of Smut:

Nicholson Baker does not look like a dirty-book writer. His color is good. His gaze is direct, with none of the sidelong furtiveness of the compulsive masturbator.

In addition to a wonderful breakdown of the fucked up premises implied by that opening, she’s asked for authors of erotica to post pictures of themselves defying this stereotype.

I don’t know if I’m good at making eye contact in general, and I’m pretty white, but, here’s my attempt:

or if you’d prefer, here’s my furtive glance: