July 18th lineup

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18TH 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

July heats up with a mix of today’s hottest erotic writers delivering sexual demons, erotic fairy tales, and other naughtiness. With Louisa Burton (House of Dark Delights), Myriam Gurba (Dahlia Season), Aimee Herman (If These Thighs Could Talk), Lillian Ann Slugocki (The Erotica Project), Maddy Stuart (Sexiest Soles) and host and curator Rachel Kramer Bussel (He’s on Top, She’s on Top). Free candy and cupcakes will be served.

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 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. Since its debut in October 2005, In the Flesh has featured such authors as Laura Antoniou, Mo Beasley, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Stephen Elliott, Valerie Frankel, Polly Frost, Gael Greene, Andy Horwitz, Debra Hyde, Maxim Jakubowski, Emily Scarlet Kramer of CAKE, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Edith Layton, Logan Levkoff, Suzanne PortnoySofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Dana Vachon, Veronica Vera, Susan Wright, and many others. The series has gotten press attention from Escape (Hong Kong), Flavorpill, The L Magazine, New York magazine, Philadelphia City Paper, Time Out New York, Gothamist, Nerve.com and Wonkette, and has been praised by Dr. Ruth. This is not Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series.

Rachel Kramer Bussel is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, conducts interviews for Gothamist.com and Mediabistro.com, and wrote the popular Lusty Lady column for The Village Voice. Her erotic stories have been published in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and she’s edited numerous erotica anthologies, most recently He’s on Top: Erotic Stories of Male dominance and Female Submission, She’s on Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission, Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists and Naughty Spanking Stories from A to Z 2. Rachel has also written for AVN, Bust, Cosmo UK, Gothamist, Mediabistro, Metro, New York Post, Punk Planet, San Francisco Chronicle, Time Out New York and Velvetpark.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com

Louisa Burton is a novelist and the author of the Hidden Grotto series of epic erotic fantasy, in which the beings mythologists call “sexual demons”—incubi, succubi, satyrs, and the like—have lived among us for thousands of years.. The series grew out of Louisa’s fascination with Victorian erotica, history, and mythology. House of Dark Delights, which was released in February 2007, is also being published in Germany. The second book in the series, Bound in Moonlight, comes out in December, and Louisa is currently writing the third, Whispers of the Flesh.
www.louisaburton.com

Myriam Gurba is a high school teacher who lives in Long Beach, California, home of Snoop Dogg and the Queen Mary. Her first novel, Dahlia Season, was published recently by Manic D/Future Tense Books. She graduated from UC Berkeley, and her writing has appeared in anthologies like Best American Erotica (St. Martin's Press), Bottom's Up (Soft Skull Press), Secrets and Confidences (Seal Press), and Tough Girls (Black Books).
www.dahliaseason.com

Aimee Herman has been described as Woody Allen with a vagina. No subject is too risque for her to write. She currently has two chapbooks of poetry out (tastes like cheesecake, if these thighs could talk) and recorded a spoken word CD available through cdbaby.com/AimeeHerman. She does not believe in warnings or disclaimers. All words are meant to inspire/offend/induce perspiration nausea/ and indigestion. Comments, questions, and suggestions for new sexual positions may be sent to:
writerslashpoet@aol.com

Lillian Ann Slugocki, an award winning feminist writer, has created a body of work on women and their sexuality which includes fiction, non-fiction, plays and monologues which have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway and on National Public Radio. Her work has been published in books, journals, anthologies, and on-line; including Salon.com. She has been reviewed in The New York Times, The Village Voice, Art in America, The New Yorker, The Daily News, The New York Post, and recently in London; Time Out, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The London Sunday Times.

Maddy Stuart paints and programs computers in a cold Canadian city. Her writing has appeared in Sexiest Soles: Erotic Stories about Feet and Shoes and Secret Slaves: Erotic Stories of Bondage, both in the Fetish Chest series.
www.maddystuart.com

In The Flesh in Time Out New York

Along with Storyhole, Fahrenheit, and The Liar Show, In The Flesh is in this week's Time Out New York article Cringe and Purge, about erotic storytelling nights. I said the highlights were Jessica Cutler, Gael Greene, and Dan Allen, though there have been many highlights. When things calm down I want to check out the others (Storyhole is in Greenpoint!).

Here's the intro:

It’s never been easier for New Yorkers to unload the lurid details of their lives.

Perhaps it’s the high rent that leaves them cash-strapped, but apparently, growing numbers of Gothamites are substituting (or supplementing) traditional therapy with more-public forms of unburdening—for example, sharing some of their more salacious sexual escapades with roomfuls of eager strangers. Whether your aim is to spout off, shock or just live vicariously, there are now a slew of open mikes, public readings—even a game-show-like event—where you can let your slip show, Freudian or otherwise.—Daniel Derouchie

Read the whole piece

Thanks Daniel and Time Out New York! Next reading is the fabulous GLBT Erotica night on June 20th and I have a LOT of free books to give away!

Interview with Gael Greene

Gael Greene read from her memoir Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess in January at Erotic Memoir Night.



I just interviewed her for Mediabistro's "So What Do You Do?" series (you can read my Insatiable review here)

Get a FREE signed copy of Glamour Girls: Femme/Femme Erotica at BEA

On Saturday, June 2nd at 1 p.m., I'll be doing a signing of Glamour Girls: Femme/Femme Erotica at the Haworth Press booth (#1503) at Book Expo America at the Javits Center. If you're there, stop by for your FREE copy. I'll also be signing with three other authors (see below), one of whom, Michael Luongo, is reading on June 20th at GLBT Erotica Night.

With Michael Luongo, author of The Voyeur and Looking for Love in Faraway Places: Tales of Gay Men's Romance Overseas), Greg Herren, aka Todd Gregory, editor of His Underwear, and Robert Taylor, author of A Few Hints and Clews.

Min Jin Lee laughs while reading from Free Food for Millionaires

5-16-07 In The Flesh
Originally uploaded by editrixie.

Without consciously planning it, the May 16th In The Flesh was debut author night; every reader had a new, first book out. Two readers, Min Jin Lee and Dana Vachon, have written books that are, in some sense, about Wall Street Sex.

Here Min Jin laughs while reading from her debut novel Free Food for Millionaires.

Photo by Stacie Joy; Click here to see the rest of her 5/16 In The Flesh set.

Samara O'Shea reads one of James Joyce's erotic letters

5-16-07 In The Flesh
Originally uploaded by editrixie.

Letter lover Samara O'Shea, author of For the Love of Letters: A 21st Century Guide to the Art of Letter Writing. Click here or scroll down to read my interview with her about all things letters.

Photo by Stacie Joy; Click here to see the rest of her In The Flesh 5/16 set.

Sarah Iverson and Jerry A. Rodriguez at In The Flesh 5/16

5-16-07 In The Flesh
Originally uploaded by editrixie.

This and the following photos were taken by the wonderful Stacie Joy, who came out to In The Flesh even though she was sick. See her whole photo set.

This one's of Sarah Iverson, aka Sarah Deming, author of Iris, Messenger, and Jerry A. Rodriguez, author of The Devil's Mambo.

Interview with Samara O'Shea, author of For the Love of Letters and Founder, Letterlover.net

(I'll be doing occasional interviews and/or posts about what's happening with In The Flesh readers. Come see Samara tomorrow night and bring money to get her book from Mobile Libris, after you hear her read I think you'll definitely want a copy!)



For writers and non-writers alike, letter lover Samara O’Shea, author of the new book For the Love of Letters: A 21st Century Guide to the Art of Letter Writing, is an inspiration. She’s taken her passion for letter writing to a whole new level, first with her website Letterlover.net, and now with her book. What really shines through the most in the book is her willingness to express things in letters she wouldn’t be able to express any other way, to family, friends, and lovers. She’s a dedicated student of letters and some of the historical ones she presents are rife with anger, love, and other emotions. There’s a section on erotic letters, but, perhaps surprisingly, that wasn’t my favorite (though I did enjoy it). This book will remind even people who write every day that there is more to writing than professional publication and that authentic human communication can happen all in the form of one true letter full of conviction that’s from the heart. You can hear Samara read an erotic letter by James Joyce (one she was unable to reprint in her book, despite her letter to his grandson, Stephen Joyce, which you can read on her site) at In The Flesh Reading Series on Wednesday, May 16th at 8 pm.




Do you remember the first letter you ever wrote?

I have memories of early letters, but I can’t say with certainty which one of them came first. I remember mailing a letter to a girl named Lori in my 3rd grade class. I asked her to be my friend. How embarrassing! I also wrote to my cousin Kate on a regular basis all through my elementary school years.

What made you start your site Letterlover.net? Is there a typical client of yours?

First and foremost I wanted to promote the idea of letter writing in the tech world (as in you can be tech savvy and still take the time to writer letters). If someone stops by the site and thinks it’s ridiculous to have me write a letter for them but walks away with a renewed interest in letter writing, then mission accomplished. Most of my clients are women and they usually ask for love letters.

How many letters are you commissioned to write in a given week or month? How long do they usually take you and what do you do when you draw a blank initially?

There is no consistency with this. Some months I have no requests and other months (usually following some coverage on another web site) I write five letters a day. Requests have slowed down since I updated my website. I think (hope) this is because there is a book with all my letter writing advice in it and people would rather give it a go themselves using the book as a guide then ask me off the bat.

It depends on the type of letter, but it can take me from a half hour to an hour to write. I always draw a blank initially, but I do that with everything I write—with every chapter in my book, with every article, even with letters I write for myself. I always have an I can’t do this moment but then I calm down and realize I can. When I draw a blank for a client, I read their request carefully and highlight the main points they’re looking to make and that leads me right into writing their letter.

Why do you think someone would hire you to write their letter for them? Is this kind of letter less powerful for the recipient than one actually written by the person?

I think people come to me because they are suffering writer’s block and they know they have something important to say and need help saying it. It’s also, admittedly, an absurd idea and I think people are curious as to how it works. A letter that I help someone write is in no way less powerful than what they would write themselves. It’s still their emotions that are driving the letter.

What are your favorite and least favorite kinds of letters to write?

As expected, I love writing love letters—for myself or for others. They make me feel as though all is well with the world. Although there’s no letter I completely dislike writing, I’d say cover letters or any type of professional letter would be my last pick of letter to write.

Do you write letters daily or on some set schedule, or when the mood strikes you?

I write when the mood strikes, which has been often lately. I wouldn’t say everyday,y but at least four or five times a week (I’m referring to handwritten letters). Ironically, I stopped writing letters to concentrate on writing the book and I’ve had to remind myself that it is something I really enjoy.

How have email and the Internet played a role in modern-day letter writing? Have they detracted from the art of letter writing by making it too simple and common of an act, or have they added to it by making people more likely to send a letter?

Everyday e-mails are not letters, but letters can be sent via e-mail. I’ll explain. I don’t consider the quick e-mails we toss off to each other to be letters. What makes a letter a letter is the language used and the emotions driving the words. You can certainly write something eloquent and meaningful and send it using e-mail, but those e-mails tend to be few and far between. Everyday e-mails have made communication faster but have removed the fluency from our language. Letters are a wonderful way to reclaim this. The Internet, on the other hand, at first appeared to be a hindrance to letter writing but has actually enabled letter writers to reach a wide audience.

What were the hardest and easiest parts of your book to write?

The most difficult parts to write were the first sentence in each chapter. I don’t know why but so much pressure comes with writing a first sentence. Once I got through the first sentence the rest of every chapter was a joy.

Tell me about the last letter you wrote and the last one you received.

The last letter I wrote was on Saturday—it was to my mom for Mother’s Day. I gave her two letters—one from me and the other was one that Louisa May Alcott wrote to her mother just after her first book was published. I found it so endearing and appropriate that I copied it and gave it to my mother. Don’t worry I didn’t plagiarize. I told my mom the story and I dated the second letter December 26, 1856.

Now tell me about a letter you wrote but never sent.

Funny you should ask. Just last month there was a letter I wrote and never sent. It involved a man (of course)—one that I was crazy about. He said he would call and after four days went by I knew that he wouldn’t. I wanted to write him and say, “Look I know you’re not interested, but if we ever run into each other things don’t have to be awkward.” There really is no cool way to say that though. You come off looking like a fool no matter what. I wrote the letter anyway and read it out loud to my sister. Writing and reading the letter made me feel much better, so I never sent it.

For someone inspired to write a letter, but not sure who the recipient should be, do you have any suggestions?

What a fun question! I say pick someone (anyone) whose day you’d like to make. Write to that old friend who you’ve been meaning to get back in touch with for years or thank someone for a recent favor they did for you.

You wrote on your blog recently about the power of writing letters to ourselves, and observed that, "We talk ourselves into wanting life the way that it is instead of accepting the challenge of making it what we want it to be." Can you elaborate on this statement? Is writing letters to ourselves a form of therapy?

It sounds strange I know, but I think we end up lying to ourselves more than we’ll ever admit. Sometimes on a large scale—as in pretending you love the person you’re with only to avoid being single—and sometimes on a smaller scale—as in not going for a promotion because you don’t want to deal with the potential rejection. The craziest part is we get so used to internal lies that we end up believing ourselves and living unsatisfying lives. Journaling, or writing letters to yourself, is a great way to figure out what’s going on within. It doesn’t happen overnight, but once you have many journal entries to look back on you’ll notice patterns and recurring themes. I came across a quote recently: “During the act of writing, I have told myself something I didn’t know I knew.” I wholeheartedly agree!

You've read many books of letters. Which one has left the biggest impression on you, and what did you learn from it?

The books that always leave the strongest impression on me are collections of letters. I love getting lost in other people’s lives and language. With that in mind, I’d say Sylvia Plath’s letters tend to really effect me as do Sarah Bernhardt’s. Sylvia’s letters are so elegant and insightful while Sarah’s are so dramatic. It’s funny, she was always acting even when she was writing letters.

Out of all the letters posted on your site, which is your favorite?

The letter my 10th grade heartthrob Mark wrote me. It still makes me giddy. On the site it’s called the “summer camp” letter and the link can be found on the bio page.

Fabulous lineup this Wednesday May 16th!

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16TH 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

A diverse mix of authors and styles take erotica to a whole new level, from fiction to romance to letter-writing, mystery, and more. Featuring Sarah Iverson (Iris, Messenger), Jackie Kessler (Hell’s Belles), Min Jin Lee (Free Food for Millionaires), Samara O’Shea (For the Love of Letters, letterlover.net), Jerry Rodriguez (The Devil’s Mambo) and Dana Vachon (Mergers and Acquisitions), along with host and curator Rachel Kramer Bussel (She’s on Top, He’s on Top, Caught Looking). Free candy and mini cupcakes will be served. Authors’ books will be available for sale by Mobile Libris.

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 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. Since its debut in October 2005, In the Flesh has featured such authors as Laura Antoniou, Andy Mo Beasley, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Stephen Elliott, Polly Frost, Gael Greene, Andy Horwitz, Debra Hyde, Maxim Jakubowski, Emily Scarlet Kramer of CAKE, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Edith Layton, Sofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Susan Wright, and many others. The series has gotten press attention from Escape (Hong Kong), The L Magazine, New York Magazine, Philadelphia City Paper, Gothamist, Nerve.com and Wonkette. This is not Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series.

Rachel Kramer Bussel is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, conducts interviews for Gothamist.com and Mediabistro.com, and wrote the popular Lusty Lady column for The Village Voice. Her erotic stories have been published in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and she’s edited 13 erotica anthologies, most recently He’s on Top: Erotic Stories of Male dominance and Female Submission, She’s on Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission, Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists and Naughty Spanking Stories from A to Z 2. Rachel has also written for AVN, Bust, Cosmo UK, Gothamist, Mediabistro, Metro, New York Post, Punk Planet, San Francisco Chronicle, Time Out New York and Velvetpark.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com

Sarah Iverson writes comic essays about vibrators, Buddhism, and duck confit. She also writes novels for children under the name Sarah Deming. Her first novel, Iris, Messenger, will be published in May by Harcourt. It tells the story of Iris, a twelve-year-old girl who meets the Greek gods in suburban Philadelphia. Before she was a writer, Sarah was a Golden Gloves boxing champion, a chef, and a yoga teacher. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband Ethan.

Jackie Kessler is the author of Hell’s Belles, a story about a succubus who runs away from Hell, hides on Earth as an exotic dancer, and learns the hard way about true love. Sex, strippers, and demons⎯what's not to like? Contrary to popular belief, Jackie did not work her way through college by stripping. She did, however, offer to buy her husband a lap dance, all in the name of research. Jackie lives in upstate New York with her husband, two sons, two cats, and 9,000 comic books.
www.jackiekessler.com



Min Jin Lee went to Yale College where she was awarded both the Henry Wright Prize for Nonfiction and the James Ashmun Veech Prize for Fiction. She then attended law school at Georgetown University and worked as a lawyer for several years in New York before leaving to write full time. She has received the NYFA Fellowship for Fiction, the Peden Prize from The Missouri Review for Best Story, and the Narrative Prize for New and Emerging Writer. Her work has also been featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts and anthologized in To Be Real (Doubleday, 1995) and Breeder (Seal Press, 2001). She lives in New York with her husband and son. Free Food for Millionaires, her first novel, will be published by Warner Books on May 22, 2007.



Samara O'Shea has been writing letters since the restless age of seven. She launched LetterLover.net in April 2005 to save the art from extinction. The website led to her first book For the Love of Letters: A 21st-Century Guide to the Art of Letter Writing from the Elegant to the Erotic (HarperCollins, May 2007). Her work has also appeared in Woman's Day, Country Living, All You, and Pittsburgh magazine as well as the online magazines HappenMag.com and Hackwriters.com. She has appeared on Today in New York and on National Public Radio's the Kojo Nnambi Show.
www.letterlover.net



Jerry A. Rodriguez is writer and director whose plays have been staged Off-Broadway at the Actor’s Studio, The Nuyorican Poet’s Café and The Village Gate, among others. Rodriguez’s groundbreaking short film, El Deseo/The Desire, was produced under the sponsorship of Columbia Pictures and premiered at the prestigious Film Society of Lincoln Center. Rodriguez has a three-book deal with Kensington Books. His debut novel The Devil’s Mambo, is the first in the Nicholas Esperanza crime thriller series. He also has short stories appearing in the upcoming anthologies Darker Mask and Bronx Biannual 2.
www.jerryarodriguez.com



Dana Vachon was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, and raised in Chappaqua, New York. His first novel, Mergers and Acquisitions, was published in April by Riverhead. He attended Duke University, graduating, as he claims, "cum nihilo" in 2002. Following graduation, Vachon landed a job at J. P. Morgan as an analyst and began work on this novel. His writing has appeared in the International Herald Tribune, Men's Vogue, The New York Times, and Salon.
www.jsspenser.com

June 20th GLBT Night lineup

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
2ND ANNUAL GLBT EROTICA NIGHT
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20TH 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

This Gay Pride month, come celebrate queerness in all its rainbow of colors with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender erotica from the country’s finest queer authors at In The Flesh! Featuring Radclyffe (Erotic Interludes, Bold Strokes Books), Jolie du Pre (Iridescence), JD Glass (Punk Like Me), Michael Luongo (The Voyeur, Between the Palms), Jay Lygon (Hot Cops), with a five-minute video of Peggy Munson reading from her novel Origami Striptease. Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Up All Night, Glamour Girls, First-Timers). Free cupcakes and candy will be served.

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 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. Since its debut in October 2005, In the Flesh has featured such authors as Laura Antoniou, Andy Mo Beasley, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Stephen Elliott, Polly Frost, Gael Greene, Andy Horwitz, Debra Hyde, Maxim Jakubowski, Emily Scarlet Kramer of CAKE, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Edith Layton, Sofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Susan Wright, and many others. The series has gotten press attention from Escape (Hong Kong), Flavorpill, The L Magazine, New York Magazine, Philadelphia City Paper, Gothamist, Nerve.com and Wonkette, and has been praised by Dr. Ruth. This is not Amanda Stern’s Happy Ending Reading Series.

Rachel Kramer Bussel is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, conducts interviews for Gothamist.com and Mediabistro.com, and wrote the popular Lusty Lady column for The Village Voice. Her erotic stories have been published in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and she’s edited several erotica anthologies, most recently He’s on Top: Erotic Stories of Male dominance and Female Submission, She’s on Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission, Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists and Naughty Spanking Stories from A to Z 2. Rachel has also written for AVN, Bust, Cosmo UK, Gothamist, Huffington Post, Mediabistro, Metro, New York Post, Punk Planet, San Francisco Chronicle, Time Out New York and Velvetpark.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com

Jolie du Pre is a writer of lesbian erotica and lesbian erotic romance. Her stories have appeared on numerous websites, in e-book and in print in Best Lesbian Erotica 2007 and more. Jolie is the editor of Iridescence: Sensuous Shades of Lesbian Erotica, published by Alyson Books. She is also the founder of GLBT Promo (www.glbtpromo.com) a promotional group for GLBT erotica and erotic romance.
www.joliedupre.com

JD Glass, lead singer of “Life Underwater” and inveterate doodler of eye-candy, is the author of Lambda Literary Award finalist Punk Like Me, its follow up Punk And Zen, and has had short stories published in Erotic Interludes 4 and 5 (all published by Bold Strokes Books). She lives in the city of her choice and birth, New York, with her beloved partner. While waiting for the June 2007 release of Red Light, JD’s currently writing her next novel, American Goth, and penning reviews for Prism Comics (titles will include L&R, the final story-arc for SiP, Small Favors, Jane’s World, and Max & Lilly. Oh, and a little X-Men because, hey, why not).

Michael Luongo is a New York based freelance writer, editor and photographer. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Advocate, The Chicago Tribune, Bloomberg News, Gay City News and many other publications. He is Senior Editor for Haworth’s Out in the World gay travel collection, putting out books like the erotic collection Between the Palms and Gay Travels in the Muslim World. He writes the Frommer’s Buenos Aires, and travels primarily in Latin America and the Middle East, preferring unusual destinations where being gay is challenging such as Afghanistan. Alyson Books recently published his first novel, The Voyeur, about a gay sex researcher working in New York in the time of Giuliani, loosely based on his own experiences.
www.michaelluongo.com

Jay Lygon’s stories can be found in Hot Cops, Inside Him, and on Clean Sheets and the Erotica Readers and Writer’s Association websites. Her novel, Chaos Magic, was recently published by Torquere Press.

Peggy Munson wrote the Project Queerlit-winning novel, Origami Striptease, and edited the acclaimed anthology, Stricken: Voices from the Hidden Epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She has published poetry in venues such as the Best American Poetry 2003, Literature and Medicine, Marginalia, the Spoon River Poetry Review, Sinister Wisdom, and 13th Moon. She is the most-published writer in the Best Lesbian Erotica series and her literary erotica has also been chosen for two editions of Best American Erotica.
www.peggymunson.com

Radclyffe is the author or editor of over twenty-five lesbian novels and anthologies, including the 2005 Lambda Literary Award winners Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments and Distant Shores, Silent Thunder. She has selections in Best Lesbian Erotica 2006 and 2007, Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists, First-Timers, Ultimate Undies: Erotic Stories About Lingerie and Underwear, and Naughty Spanking Stories from A to Z 2. She is also the president of Bold Strokes Books, an independent LGBT publishing company.

My favorite In The Flesh photo

I was looking for this photo to promote April 2007's True Sex Confessions Night and couldn't find it, but I just did. It was taken last April at the fabulous first True Sex Confessions Night and features I Am Not Myself These Days author Josh Kilmer-Purcell and blogger and The Washingtonienne author Jessica Cutler. And Jessica is holding her prop. I am still kicking myself for not taping that. I will have to get Jessica back one of these days.

Video of Dan Goldman at True Sex Confession Night at In The Flesh

Dan Goldman posted the piece he read, "Daniel and the Lion," on YouTube from True Sex Confessions Night at In The Flesh on April 18, 2007. You can read the text of his story here.