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A review by blkmymorris
Best Sex Writing 2013: The State of Today's Sexual Culture by Patrick Califia-Rice, Nicholas Garnett, Rob Boston, Jon Pressick, Jonathan Lethem, Kristen Hinman, Neil Gabler, Alex Morris, Madison Young, Lori Selke, Insiya Ansari, Conner Habib, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Carol Queen, Julia Serano, Rachel Swan, Melissa Gira Grant, Dennis Romero, Andy Isaacson, Seth Fischer
3.0
An uneven collection. Lots of personal stories that read like a collection of blog posts. I like the ones that read like articles with a political and historical perspective on sex. It just get tiring to read another memoir essay on BDSM or polyamory.
Best parts:
"Live New Models" by Jonathan Lethem - the difference between nudity and sexualization.
"Can a Better Vibrator Inspire an Age of Great American Sex?" by Andy Isaacson - The history of vibrators and its rise in popularity with a look at how the Lelo company designs their toys.
"Very Legal: Sex and Love in Retirement" by Alex Morris - Exactly what it says on the label. Realistic yet touching.
"Cherry Picking" by Julia Serrano - This about a transgendered woman and how virginity is more complicated than society makes it seem.
"Holy Fuck: the 4th and Long Virgin" by Jon Pressick - Tim Tebow and how it goes against how society views male athletes and lockerrom culture. It was a bit superficial, but explored a little dicussed part of sports culture and (lack of) sex.
"Dear John" by Lori Selke - another BDSM story but the humor makes this memoir more tolerate and its interesting to read how it has changed.
"Sex by any other name" by Insiya Ansari - a virginity story by a Muslim woman. The virginity stories speak to me because they seem to go against the American mainstream culture more. Thi sstory was religious but I would have liked a little more exploration of cultural attitudes compared.
"Enhancing Masochism" by Pat Califia - Califia waxes poetic and philosophical about BDSM. I don't agree but it was a thought provoking article.
"Porn Defends the Money Shot" by Dennis Romero - a excellent article bout the legislation to require condoms in porn and how porn is changing under the pressure of the Internet. It also touches on other issues such as homophobia in porn, escorting, and OSHA.
"Lost Boys" by Kristen Hinman - an informative article on child prostitution. Highly recommends because the research shows that our understanding of child prostituion (not child trafficking) is only reflect 10% or those teens and how it adds in the image of teen prostution only happening to child and not boys. A must read!
These last two articles are a great contrast to rather lazy article in this collection that defended the Village Voice keeping its Backpages adult ads. Overall, it's an uneven collection bogged down by some essays that feel too similiar.
Best parts:
"Live New Models" by Jonathan Lethem - the difference between nudity and sexualization.
"Can a Better Vibrator Inspire an Age of Great American Sex?" by Andy Isaacson - The history of vibrators and its rise in popularity with a look at how the Lelo company designs their toys.
"Very Legal: Sex and Love in Retirement" by Alex Morris - Exactly what it says on the label. Realistic yet touching.
"Cherry Picking" by Julia Serrano - This about a transgendered woman and how virginity is more complicated than society makes it seem.
"Holy Fuck: the 4th and Long Virgin" by Jon Pressick - Tim Tebow and how it goes against how society views male athletes and lockerrom culture. It was a bit superficial, but explored a little dicussed part of sports culture and (lack of) sex.
"Dear John" by Lori Selke - another BDSM story but the humor makes this memoir more tolerate and its interesting to read how it has changed.
"Sex by any other name" by Insiya Ansari - a virginity story by a Muslim woman. The virginity stories speak to me because they seem to go against the American mainstream culture more. Thi sstory was religious but I would have liked a little more exploration of cultural attitudes compared.
"Enhancing Masochism" by Pat Califia - Califia waxes poetic and philosophical about BDSM. I don't agree but it was a thought provoking article.
"Porn Defends the Money Shot" by Dennis Romero - a excellent article bout the legislation to require condoms in porn and how porn is changing under the pressure of the Internet. It also touches on other issues such as homophobia in porn, escorting, and OSHA.
"Lost Boys" by Kristen Hinman - an informative article on child prostitution. Highly recommends because the research shows that our understanding of child prostituion (not child trafficking) is only reflect 10% or those teens and how it adds in the image of teen prostution only happening to child and not boys. A must read!
These last two articles are a great contrast to rather lazy article in this collection that defended the Village Voice keeping its Backpages adult ads. Overall, it's an uneven collection bogged down by some essays that feel too similiar.