In considering my ethnographic research on slash fan fiction,
I am reminded of Kamala Visweswaran and Adi Kuntsman, who
both comment on the messy emotional and political consequences
of doing "homework" in an intimate field where the
researcher will continue to live (1994, 2004). While fan fiction
refers to amateur writing about previously published characters,
the sub-genre "slash" not only marks homoerotic writing but
also a personal identity and the subculture that facilitates the
distribution and discussion of such stories. Located at the
crossroads between changes in technology which allow small
subcultures access to global audiences, and changes in social
norms which nonetheless often still pathologize women's and
queer sexualities, on-line and in-person slash forums offer a
unique space for women's literary, social, and sexual expression.
