Elinor Glyn (October 17, 1864 - September 23, 1943), born Nellie Sutherland in Jersey, was the author of It, Three Weeks, Beyond the Rocks, and other novels in a similarly softcore vein. Glyn was also the sister of Titanic survivor and fashion designer Lady Lucy Duff Gordon. October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ... Beyond the Rocks is a 1906 novel by Elinor Glyn and a 1922 silent film, based on that novel, in which Gloria Swanson and Rodolph Valentino starred together for the only time. ... DeFoes Robinson Crusoe, Newspaper edition published in 1719 A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Softcore is a form of erotica that is less explicit than hardcore material in depicting or describing sexual behaviour. ... The New York Herald reports the disaster. ... Lady Lucy Duff-Gordon (1863-1935) was a famous fashion designer in the early 20th century, and a survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. ...

Although her writing would not be considered scandalous by 21st century standards, she pioneered mass-market women's erotic fiction. She coined the use of It as a euphemism for sexuality, or sex appeal. A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces. ...

On the back of the popularity and notoriety of her books, she moved to Hollywood where she promoted the concept of the vamp, helping to make a star of actress Clara Bow (the It girl). ... Clara Bow Clara Bow (born July 29, 1905; died September 27 [possibly September 26], 1965) was an American actress and sex symbol, best known for her film work in the 1920s and early 1930s. ... An It girl is a young woman famed for her good looks, but in recent years has come to describe a new up-and-coming young starlet who has recently broken into mainstream cinema. ...

A scriptwriter for the early movie industry, she also had a brief career as one of the earliest female directors.

She is the subject of the doggerel: Doggerel describes verse considered of little literary value. ...

Would you sin

With Elinor Glyn

On a tiger skin

Or perhaps you'd prefer

To err with her

On some other fur?

which was inspired by a scene from Three Weeks [1].

External link

• Works by Elinor Glyn at Project Gutenberg
• A 2004 essay by Louise Harrington (Cardiff University), from The Literary Encyclopedia