Blood Song and Succubus Dreams

While at grown-up study hall yesterday, I "read" a book called Blood Song: A Wordless Ballad by Erik Drooker. I put read in quotes because this book is pictures only - no words. It's definitely meant for adults, and I found it very moving. I loved the use of color and the use of perspective. I loved the way the artist conveyed the emotions of his characters. I loved the sense of hope after tragedy. Anyone who's interested in graphic novels should read it. Five stars, since it changed the way I thought about graphic novels.

And, yesterday afternoon, I finished Succubus Dreams by Richelle Mead. This book got some great reviews by authors I like, including Jim Butcher, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. My favorite part of the book was the main character's memory of meeting Lillith, and I put an excerpt of that behind the cut. It doesn't spoil anything about the plot. I also really liked the character in the book who's a writer, and the way that Mead writes about his writing process and how it affects his interactions with others. Things I didn't like so much about the book - well, the main character is kind of dumb in the way that I hate for heroines to be dumb - dumb about her actions, their consequences, her own motivations. I was able to see the vast majority of the plot twists coming about a mile away. And honestly I have a hard time really getting behind plots that have a lot to do with selling one's soul. It's just... not an idea that I find very resonant. And finally, Georgina's supposed friends are pretty mean to her. I didn't like that. Three stars. But it would make a good beach book, for sure.

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Isn't it funny how it's easier to explain why something doesn't work, than why it does work?

two books for Beltane, and a little rant about sex work

I read two books with Beltane themes this year. First, On Our Backs: The Best Erotic Fiction edited by Lindsay McClune. Second, Whores and Other Feminists, edited by Jill Nagle.

On Our Backs was a good anthology. I can't believe it was my first time reading it, especially since so many of my friends have been models or contributors for the magazine. My favorite stories were "The Succubus" by Jess Wells (sexy supernatural happening to a manicured corporate chick), "My Woman Poppa," by Joan Nestle (which was also in her genderqueer anthology), "Cactus Love" by Lee Lynch (I sooo swoon for older butches), "Obsession" by Martha Miller (giving new meaning to the phrase "hot mama!") "Cum E-Z" by Red Jordan Arobateau (too hot for a description), Medusa's Dance" by Wickie Stamps (which you might find triggering if you have, well, a pulse), and "What They Do" by Rachel Heath (very sweet and innocent). I found it quite sexy, and reading it went very well with the seasonal ambiance. Four stars, because it was really hard to pick my favorites - so many were so good in so many different ways.

Whores and Other Feminists - wow. This book really changed the whole way I think about the sex industry. Of course, like any anthology, it had stronger parts and weaker parts, but it was just so good and revolutionary, even more so given that it came out ten years ago. If you've ever done or bought sex work and feel weird about it, you should read this book. If you think you would have to be an addict or a victim to do sex work, read this book. If you wonder why people use the term "sex work" at all, read this book. And if you've ever enjoyed doing sex work, or thought you would enjoy it, it should already be in your bookcase. Wonderful, wonderful book. Five stars, and I'm not even going to try to choose my favorite essays. Although the one on Barbie was terrific. *reins self in* No! No, I'm stopping, or you're just going to be looking at the table of contents, and no one wants that.

One essay in this book debunked many myths about sex work, one at a time, in about one paragraph each. Two of the myths mentioned were that if you do sex work, it's as a full-time job for economic survival, and that once you've crossed the line and done sex work, you'll be a hooker forever more. Well, I want to chime in on that point. In the past, I have done sex work of several different kinds. It was part-time, brief, and just for fun. (Some people would claim that, therefore, it's not "real" sex work. Folks, it's real enough to ensure I'll never be able to work in politics or the public school system, okay? Real enough.) The money was a nifty bonus, but it was the experiences that I was most interested in. And, in fact, it didn't stigmatize me as a whore forever, and I've had no problem doing other kinds of work. Barring, again, government work with small children and becoming a public servant.

I think that most people who have done any kind of sex work (dancing, modelling, erotic massage, prodomming, escorting, or just plain sellin' it out of the back of a pickup truck) other than the kind that's been ennobled by a plain gold band* tend to edit it out of their lives. They just never tell most people they know. ETA: My point here is that this maintains the madonna/whore dichotomy - good girls on one side, bad on the other, and never the twain shall speak. Well, my life is about telling, so here it is. I made money off my sexuality, even though I'm choosing to be vague about the details. It was fun, but it didn't define my life. I don't know that I would do it again, but I also wouldn't say for certain that I wouldn't. Have a nice day.

Anyway, if this topic interests you, in addition to the above title, I would recommend Call Girl: Confessions of an Ivy League Lady of Pleasure, Mistress Ruby Ties It Together, Bare: On Dancing, Women, Sex, and Power and Women of the Light: The New Sacred Prostitute. The movie Live Nude Girls Unite is also pretty awesome. So is Annie Sprinkle - if sex work interests you, go see her talk the next time she's in town. Yay whores! Whores yay!**

*OF COURSE I'm not saying that marriage is always about trading sex for money. I'm just saying that it's SOMETIMES about that. See also the phrase "gold digger." A gold digger is just a whore that made good.
**OF COURSE it is not okay for anyone to be forced into prostitution, through violence, economic coercion, or any other means. OF COURSE children should not be prostitutes. OF COURSE anyone who doesn't want to do sex work should have other options. And, of course, sex workers in this country are not, for the most part, going to have very easy lives until and unless selling actual sex stops being illegal.