[dlivingston]

Regarding Bloom's accuser,

> In 2004, Wolf wrote an article for New York magazine accusing literary scholar Harold Bloom of a "sexual encroachment" more than two decades earlier by touching her thigh. She said that what she alleged Bloom did was not harassment, either legally or emotionally, and she did not think herself a "victim", but that she had harbored this secret for 21 years. [0]

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Wolf

[tzs]

For those who have never heard of "sexual encroachment" and are wondering how it differs from "sexual harassment", Wikipedia covers it [1].

Briefly, she did not feel harassed or traumatized or victimized by it, but rather that her education was corrupted. She says: "Sexual encroachment in an educational context or a workplace is, most seriously, a corruption of meritocracy; it is in this sense parallel to bribery. I was not traumatized personally, but my educational experience was corrupted. If we rephrase sexual transgression in school and work as a civil-rights and civil-society issue, everything becomes less emotional, less personal. If we see this as a systemic corruption issue, then when people bring allegations, the focus will be on whether the institution has been damaged in its larger mission".

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Wolf#Alleged_sexual_encr...

[soulofmischief]

When you hear a phrase like "sexual encroachment", you may prepare yourself for a modern pseudo-feminist spiel about how any kind of unwanted physical contact is sexual assault, but Wolf's explanation of her use of the phrase and her emphasis on its distinctions while maintaining its corrupt nature is spot on and very appreciated.

A couple weeks ago my neighbor was drunk and kept trying to make physical contact with me, grabbing my hand, hugging, touching me, despite me incessantly asking her to stop. I didn't feel victimized or assaulted (I have actually been sexually assaulted by another male and it is different), but I was still at a loss for words to explain to her the severity of her actions and how different it would be if our genders were reversed. Sexual encroachment is probably a good phrase for it.

[mellosouls]

Comment removed.

[SomeOldThrow]

What does this have to do with the accusation? It has nothing to do with his being significant except through the window of his abusing his power.

[mellosouls]

I think you have misread my comment.

[elliekelly]

Perhaps I've misread and/or misunderstood your comment as well. It seems you're suggesting that she's an unreliable witness and her accusations shouldn't be given much (or any) weight because her academic and professional work is of low quality.

[SomeOldThrow]

I don’t believe I have. What do claims of plagiarism have to do with claims of sexual harassment? Your post seems to defame the alleged victim.

[mellosouls]

That wasn't the intent; but as you and at least one other have read it that way I've removed it.

[SomeOldThrow]

Thanks :)