The artist and her muse

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Originally uploaded by brianvan.

One of the highlights of last night's In The Flesh was when burlesque babe and artist extraordinaire Molly Crabapple showed up (fresh from a burlesque gig at Mo Pitkin's!) and brought me a present - the original artwork of me with cleavage and cupcakes, the official In The Flesh logo. Firstly, she'd told me she had a gift for me months ago, and I guessed that's what it was but she also had it framed and it looks so fabulous. Everyone comments on the logo when I pass out postcards and it just means so much to me that she drew it in the first place, let alone gave me the print. So thank you, Molly! She is also busy getting her first book ready for publication in December - it's the officialy coloring book of Dr. Sketchy, which is now an international phenomenon.

So much other fabulousness last night, will update you when I can. In the meantime, you can read Jurgen Fauth's lovely writeup and see his video of me introducing his wife, Marcy Dermansky, author of Twins and Marcy's sly, sexy reading from a sex scene. As I told Marcy, I am sometimes very picky about fiction and I'll start a book and then put it down, but often will go back to it. I had read a chapter of Twins and liked it but was not sucked in. And apparently, as reader Jami Attenberg reports, they left and went to a party for a Helen Hunt movie and Marcy gave Helen Hunt a copy of Twins. Awesome! Last night, I totally was, and will be reading Twins pronto - perhaps I will add it to my little stack of books to take on the plane to California. Everyone read beautifully and many cupcakes were eaten, books given away, and fun had late into the evening.

Photo by Brian Van
See more of his photos from last night's In The Flesh here

Come for the comedy, stay for the birthday party/spankings

This could be the best In The Flesh yet. Don't miss it. After the reading, at 10 pm, we're heading downstairs for my birthday party, and yes, there will be birthday spankings. And cupcakes. Perhaps some kinky combination of the two.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
COMIC SEX NIGHT
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 at 8 PM
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://inthefleshreadingseries.blogspot.com

New York’s funniest comedians riff about their wildest sex stories⎯from a horny gym trainer to a 30-year-old virgin to hot hotel sex and much more, they’ll make you laugh so hard you just might pee in your pants. With sidesplitting sex tales from Sara Jo Allocco (The Kissing Booth), Claudia Cogan (Check Your Cool), Jessica Delfino (“Rock N’ Roll Pussy,” I Wanna Be Famous), Julie Klausner (Free to Be Friends, Cat News), Todd Levin (How to Kick People), Mindy Raf (Collegehumor.com), Lianne Stokes (And God Created Women), Baron Vaughn (Tell Your Friends, Brooklyn Comedy Company), and music by the very foxy Adira Amram (Me and Bill, “Adira Amram Is An American Idol”). Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel.

In the Flesh is a monthly reading series hosted at the appropriately named Happy Ending Lounge, and features the city's best erotic writers sharing stories to get you hot and bothered, hosted and curated by Village Voice sex columnist and acclaimed erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. From erotic poetry to down and dirty smut, these authors get naked on the page and will make you lust after them and their words. Future themed nights include Revenge of the Sex Columnists (September), comic sex (November) and erotic memoirs. Since its debut in October 2005, In the Flesh has featured such authors as Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Polly Frost, Andy Horwtiz, Maxim Jakubowski, Emily Scarlet Kramer of CAKE, Edith Layton, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, and many others. The series has gotten press attention from Escape (Hong Kong), The L Magazine, New York, Gothamist, Nerve.com and Wonkette. This series is not Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series.



Rachel Kramer Bussel is a New York City-based author and editor. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, writes the Lusty Lady column for The Village Voice, and conducts interviews for Gothamist.com and Mediabistro.com. Her erotic stories have appeared in over 60 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and she’s edited her own collections, including Naughty Spanking Stories from A to Z 1 and 2, Up All Night, First-Timers, Glamour Girls, Ultimate Undies, Sexiest Soles, Secret Slaves: Erotic Stories of Bondage, and Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists. Rachel has also written for AVN, Bust, Metro, New York Post, Punk Planet, Time Out New York and Velvetpark.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com



Originally from Long Island, Sara Jo Allocco has been performing comedy all over NYC since 2004. Prior to that she took a job in an office playing with handbags, and before that did acting as a child. You might have seen her alongside Julia Stiles and Kirsten Dunst . . . auditioning alongside them that is. One part of the comedy duo Brandy & Sara, she hosts the monthly “The Kissing Booth” at the D Lounge, and “Flickr” at Otto's Shrunken Head. She likes San Loco, procrastinating, Justin Timberlake, and Toto. In that order.
sarajoallocco.blogspot.com



Adira Amram is a Brooklyn based musical comedienne. She has been described as a mix of Biz Markie and Madonna. Her CD Me and Bill, out on North Street Records, won a rave review from Jane magazine. For performance dates and other Adira news check out www.adiraamram.com.



Stand up comic and writer Claudia Cogan was recently called a "hilarious up-and-comer" by Time Out New York and an "acerbic wit" by the New York Post. After completing her training at the UCB Theatre, she was on improv teams for over a year and is still a regular performer at the celebrated venue. She has done her stand up at Caroline's, The Improv, and Stand Up New York, to name a few. She's been featured on Sirius Raw Dog Comedy network and her writing has been spotlighted by Gawker.com and MSNBC.com.
getthefoutofhere.blogspot.com



Jessica Delfino is a dirty folk song singer who also tells raunchy jokes. She was described as "a cross between Redd Foxx and Jewel" by The Onion and "Best Guitar Slinging Potty Mouth" by The Village Voice in the "Best Of" Issue. She spent her summer at The Montreal Comedy Festival and then followed with a 6 week US tour with The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and Corn Mo. She loves touring. Take her with you somewhere. Or at least visit her online at www.jessydelfino.blogspot.com.



Julie Klausner is a comedy writer and a performer, and she is also a lovely young woman. Her show, Free To Be Friends, was an official selection of the NY International Fringe Festival, and she has done many more lovely and cool things, such as her Channel 102 series, Cat News, and lots more stuff as well, including writing for Robert Smigel's TV Funhouse cartoon on SNL and doing cartoon voices on E! and for the new Comedy Central series Freak Show. She recently got to play the part of "Abortion Girl" in the Les Freres Corbusier production of Hell House.
www.julieklausner.com



Todd Levin performs his little comedy skits and zingers for all of you nice people. He has appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and at the 2006 US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. His writing has been published in Salon, Time Out, Glamour, McSweeney's, Heeb, Cracked, The Onion and on his own web site, tremble.com. He also co-produces the popular NYC-based comedy reading series, HOW TO KICK PEOPLE, at Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction on the last Wednesday of every month.
www.tremble.com



Mindy Raf is a stand-up comic, actress, and writer living in New York City. She is regularly performs at the Laugh Lounge, with Chicks and Giggles, and at the Teabag Variety Hour where she recently received the "Comedian of the Year" award. Mindy authors a widely-read relationship column on CollegeHumor.com that has been featured in The New Yorker and the New York Post. She is a contributor to The Phat Phree comedy site as well as the stand-up publication, The Comical. Mindy is also a regular actor for the popular Internet sketch comedy program, The Post Show. Mindy additionally writes and does voiceover work for a radio service that provides comedy content to broadcasting stations worldwide. For more info, please visit www.mindyraf.com or read her popular humor blog at http://thisisnotreallyablogforreal.blogspot.com



Lianne Stokes has a really hard time with numbers. She was always awful at math. Which means that she's constantly overdrawn in her "WAMU" checking account. A budding quirky creative type, she’s been doing stand-up on the New York indie scene for five years. Known for her high-energy style, she appreciates that "Dudes think she's funny." Most recently Lianne's had the pleasure to write and workshop her solo show, "And, God Created The Woman" around town. Oh! She's also got a blog. Yes! And, she's super proud that said blog is often linked to Gawker.com. In another life she dreams of being a fashion designer and boutique owner. Ahh! Dreams.
liannestokes.blogspot.com


photo by Semyon

Baron Vaughn is a daredevil. He defy the heavens and fate itself to get out of bed everyday and make his way in front of an audience that he tries to convince of his hilarity. He's been to the HBO Comedy Arts Festival and was recently named one of the 25 Sexiest New Yorkers by the New York Post. He still has no clue if he'll ever pay off his student loans.
www.baronvaughn.com