The 1976 book “The Hite Report” was a bestseller from the beginning. And it made its author, Shere Hite, a deeply polarizing public figure. But cultural memory can be short, especially when it comes to pioneering feminists — even ones who have sold 50 million books. “We love Shere Hite!” Newnham recalled Johnson and her producing partner Ro Donnelly responding. Seeing Hite walk out of an interview was not uncommon, especially after the publication of “The Hite Report on Male Sexuality” in 1981, which proved even more divisive.

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