Chasing Joy With Dr. Rath
My blogs and the journey I have been on with SMUNTH had the goal of making people feel safe and empowered to engage with sexual literature. But on a personal level it's been my pursuit of knowledge and understanding and it's my self-assigned education on the real human truths that exist within more provocative stories.
The authors who write the books are my collaborators, teachers, and fellow students on this journey. I am in their debt in many ways. I would have nothing to study if they didn't create their art.
Because of this, I have decided that I want to spend time talking about some of the authors who have made a big impact on SMUNTH, whether they know it or not.
The reason I have waited until June to write this particular type of blog is because there is one specific author with whom I wanted to start. I wanted to talk about this author during a time period of queer celebration. How could I talk about Dr. Emily Rath, someone who focuses so wholeheartedly on queer joy, and not publish it during Pride?!
Dr. Emily Rath is the author of a wide variety of queer stories. From her regency romances, omega verse, sports romances, to fantasy, Dr. Rath centers her stories around layered characters. My first introduction to the “EMILYVERSE” was her Jacksonville Rays series, a contemporary hockey romance series. The books showcase poly, bi, straight, gay, and queer characters.
I remember finishing Pucking Around - the first full length novel in the series - and sitting on my couch just staring at the wall. My tears had started to dry and I was left pondering all the new thoughts that swirled in my brain. Because this “why chose” hockey romance was so much more than I had bargained for.
It was thought-provoking. The characters in this story were some of the best and most well-rounded characters I had ever read. They were three dimensional and there was evidence that they had even more lurking under the surface. Each time a relationship expands beyond two people, they had to navigate insecurities and had to figure out how to be a polyamorous group within a binary world. The conversation of queerness in these books was new to me. Their level of understanding and ambiguity about their sexual identities was profound. Dr. Rath did not put her own characters in a box just so her readers could label them; she let them live out their own truth on the page.
That hit me as something truly special.
From then on I started religiously following her and the more I learned, the more I respected her.
If you haven't noticed yet her name is in fact Dr. Emily Rath. That's right, she has not only one, but two PhD’s! Oh, and two masters degrees! “Her credentials are a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy, two M.A.s in Political Science, and two Ph.D.s in Peace Studies and Political Science.” She is someone who has spent years of her life studying humanity. To me, she is someone who is asking and searching out answers as to why we do the things we do. And she is very thoughtful about how to be a part of positive change in the world.
She openly talks about how writing is a way for her to chase joy. The stories she writes showcase real and important relationship dynamics that are not always widely talked about in mainstream media. They also contain a lot of humor and sometimes bring much needed levity to this topic. So while these books are deep and meaningful, they also contain some of the most joyful scenes I’ve ever read. And therein lies the magic of Emily Rath as an author.
Many of her books are “why choses” stories, which means: why choose only one partner when you could have more, ie. polyamory. “Why choose” books generally follow one woman falling in love with multiple men. The relationship dynamics that follow vary from book to book, but it is common to see some couplings between the men as well. Other women or solely female “why choose” scenarios are less common, but still popular. Polyamory stories highlight individuals who are choosing their own joy over what society dictates as “normal”.
I don't know how Dr. Rath would describe herself, but I would say that she is a BOLD storyteller. To me her ability and consistency to write stories that lie outside of the “norm” is inspiring. She does not apologize (nor should she) when people find her work taboo. On the contrary, she is an outspoken champion for the queer community and her work. And what is even more beautiful to me is the community that she has built. I can't explain how many TikToks I have seen where people pick up her books and say “this was my first ‘why choose’ novel, and i couldn't put it down! I loved the characters in this story so much!" Sure, there are many people who dislike her books as well. Art is always subjective. Not everything is for everyone. But everything has value.
Dr. Rath’s books to me not only have a space within the romance genre but they fill important gaps. Representation sometimes feels like a buzzword rather than a real concern. But I feel that it is vital. To me, smut and romantic stories can play a key role in self discovery and making sure that this umbrella is as wide and as inclusive as possible is paramount.
Personally, I love Rath’s characters and stories. They all live rent-free in my head! My signed copy of Pucking Around is one of my most prized possessions. But in addition, I think she is an important author for our times. She is someone whose work expands conversations of relationships and love. I urge you to pick up one of her books next time you are looking for something new and share with me what you think.
