I'm on Sex City tonight live at 11 pm EST talking Best Sex Writing 2013

I'll even be reading a little bit of my essay "Baby Talk." And Jon Pressick wrote about Tim Tebow in "Holy Fuck" - sports are not my forte but one thing I'm very proud of with this edition of Best Sex Writing is its timeliness. We've got sex toy company JimmyJane, porn in condoms, Tebow, along with male bisexuality, masochism and a host of other topics. Click on the title below to read more about the book, or visit the virtual book tour which just wrapped up, and this interview with me at Clitical about sex culture and erotica. You can also win a copy of Best Sex Writing 2013 from Clitical!

Tonight on Sex City, Louise reaches Rachel Kramer Bussel, the editor of Best Sex Writing 2013. (Cleis Press). In this latest annual nonfiction anthology, Rachel has collected a range of the year's most challenging, detailed non-ficton essays, examining many aspects of sexuality. While autobiographical in many cases, her commentators bring in historical, political, economic considerations, with the carnal. Topics include dynamics of s/m culture, polyamoury, orientations, while striking to find Sex City's own Jon Pressick's article, exploring virginity in a sports figure.

Tune in and turn on at our late night time slot!
Tuesday April 11, 2013, 11pm to Midnight, 89.5 FM (Toronto) Host: Louise Bak

Program Info – http://www.ciut.fm/shows/spoken-word/sex-city/
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Stream Live @ http://www.ciut.fm/listen-now/

My favorite Tumblr porn

My dirty little secret is that sometimes I'd actually rather look at lingerie than sex photos. And by sometimes, I mean most of the time. I'm trying to purge myself of all the ridiculous assumptions I've absorbed about "how to be a sex writer," because I'm not a sex writer, I'm just a writer, but still, ever since I left the road to a "respectable" career and fell into one that even I whisper about and evade (like when the doctor the other day asked what I write about and I said "dating and relationships, books, pop culture," which is true, but not, you know, the whole truth), I've had to reckon with the disparity of how not depraved I actually am, most of the time (I'm depraved when the situation warrants it). Sortof like for fun I read YA and cozy mysteries because I read smut all the time for work, though I am always on the lookout for a good juicy novel of any genre. I guess it's my own silliness that's even inspiring a disclaimer, but it's true. I packed a box of VHS and DVD porn because I was afraid to throw it away in Brooklyn. Some of the VHS tapes I actually want to watch but have no means to, so I'll just keep them as souvenirs, probably until my next move, unless I somehow come to own a VCR. My point being, I'm in now way a regular porn watcher, although the DVDs I bought at the Feminist Porn Conference I do plan to check out. But I do have a few naked photo Tumblrs I follow and I shared my favorite Tumblr porn at Salon and also my favorite non-porn but pretty photos Tumblr The Lingerie Addict, which recently featured this photo below, of a dress from Uturn Utopia.

BUST-ed!

The February/March love and sex issue of BUST has an article called "The Thinking Girl's Guide to Erotica" by Rachel Friedman and here's part of what it says:

If you want to start boning up (har0 on quality erotica, you'll want to start with the work of some stellar modern female authors. Perhaps best known is Rachel Kramer Bussel, who edits and contributes to a slew of top-notch anthologies; aside from the Best Sex Writing series, she's worked on niche collections like Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories; Please, Sir: Erotic Stories of Female Submission; and Suite Encounters: Hotel Sex Stories.

My fabulous publisher Cleis Press gets a big shoutout, as does ebook publisher Mischief Books. Yay!

Talking Fifty Shades of Grey, kinky erotica and hotel sex live tonight on Sex Out Loud Radio!

I'm very excited about being on Sex Out Loud Radio live tonight at 5 pm PST/8 pm EST with Tristan Taormino. I've interviewed her probably 5 times for various publications, so I'm curious what she'll want to ask me about Fifty Shades of Grey, kinky erotica, hotel sex and more. I published my very first erotica story, "Monica and Me," in her anthology Best Lesbian Erotica 2001 and more recently, the gay trans male boxing story "Punching Bag" in her Lambda Literary Award winning anthology Take Me There: Trans and Genderqueer Erotica. You can listen here live or after the show (it's recorded) and call in at 866-472-5788. Follow @SexOutLoudRadio on Twitter for show updates.

I would indeed write shoplifting erotica, and Vegas photos

Great article in Las Vegas Weekly by Lynn Comella: "Seeing erotica in everything...even shoplifting - read to the end for the shoplifting scenario, which I just may use in my spanking book:

“You can write erotica about anything,” Rachel Kramer Bussel tells me over brunch at Hash House a Go Go. “You could even write about that Bloody Mary,” she says, pointing to our friend Tess’ cocktail. The drink has such a commanding presence, with its thick slice of bacon, red slab of tomato and protruding celery stalk, it almost needs a table—or a room—of its own.

Before I know it, I’m spinning a tale in my head about the busboy, the waiter, the waitress and cook, a tangle of arms and legs, a not-so-secluded pantry off a busy kitchen and … well, you get my point: Anything, from food to feet, can be eroticized and used as a jumping-off point for a hot, steamy tale of sexual seduction and arousal.

At least that’s what Kramer Bussel thinks. She has edited 39 anthologies of erotica—with six more in the works—that explore everything from plane sex and hotel sex to spanking and bondage. She’s written dozens of short stories, including “Monica and Me,” her first published piece of erotica based on her fantasies about former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The world is her erotic muse, and it’s clear from talking with her that she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Some photos from Las Vegas, where I had a wonderful time, met fascinating writers, got inspired, soaked in a hot and cold tub and generally enjoyed myself.


Flamingos at The Flamingo



Hash House a Go Go granola waffle



Salmon skin roll at Hamada (Japanese restaurant at The Flamingo that was SO good)



Dragonfruit - didn't taste it, but learned what it was



Condom dress at Erotic Heritage Museum



my friend Tess Danesi's amazing shoes!



Sex shop in The Flamingo

Interviews with me at Street Boners and Oysters & Chocolate

Two new interviews with me:

"WTF Does an Erotica Writer Do All Day?" at Street Boners with a gigantic version of the cover of Best Bondage Erotica 2011 (which you can also read at Luke O'Neil's blog put that shit on the list)

Excerpt:

You’ve written for a pretty lengthy list of publications. Is it hard to switch between your sexy hat and your normal journalist hat? Ever accidentally slip in an orgasm metaphor where one doesn’t belong?

I think I navigate fiction and nonfiction pretty easily, that’s the biggest switch. I fight hard not to be relegated only to writing about sex, because I have plenty of other interests. I think the biggest challenge for me when I’m writing fiction is to not personalize it too much, and lately I’ve been trying to write characters who are very different from me, like a transgender man into erotic boxing in “Punching Bag.” There is always a little bit of myself in my stories though, even if it’s about, say, a gay couple competing in a “Sexathon.” It’s not that I’ve actually done that, but in some buried corner of my fantasies, it sounds fun, and in fiction I get to “be” all those people doing all those wild things.

Talking about my story "Blow Me" in Nice Girls, Naughty Sex at Oysters & Chocolate

Excerpt:

What makes the character(s) in your story nice but naughty?

Well, this is a story where there’s no actual sex in it, just a very wicked fantasy, so I think that qualifies as “nice,” but the fantasies the characters do have are decidedly risqué.

In Los Angeles, live on the radio tonight, BDSM Night at Dr. Suzy

I'm going to be on the Dr. Susan Block show again tonight, this time live, 10:30-midnight Los Angles time! Click here to listen. Tomorrow I'll be at the West Hollywood Book Fair 1:15-2:15 on a sex writing panel. I will also be chasing down the Grilled Cheese Truck, and stopping by Skylight Books in Los Feliz and also high-end, beautiful sex toy store Coco de Mer to sign books! I used lots of stuff from Coco de Mer in my about-to-debut Orgasmic book trailer, and think I can safely say my books have never looked so gorgeous as they do in the display case at the one in New York.

I also have to adjust some of my clothing so my bra strap doesn't rub against my new tattoo on my back (I'm writing about it so will talk about it more next week.)

I want to get naked (news) for you

Back in October when I was in Toronto, I shot a segment with Naked News (link obviously NSFW). A very pretty and nice woman interviewed me, totally naked (I was clothed) about erotica and my erotic writing workshop.

The problem is, now I have the file, but can’t seem to host it on my site. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I could upload it to share it? (Obviously not YouTube). Or any troubleshooting ideas about why it’s not loading on my site? Email rachelkb at gmail.com and hopefully I can share what’s definitely been a highlight of my press adventures.

An apt summary of my life's madness in 140 characters or less

This galley went right to the top of my to-be-read "pile" (which is really more of a...bag unto itself, or bags).

I'm quoted in Danish Elle!

Click on images below for a larger version on Flickr. I was quoted in an article in Danish Elle even if I don't know yet what it actually says.

Interview with me about The Cougar Book and "What Pretty Girls Do"

I wrote the story "What Pretty Girls Do" inspired by the Kirsty MacColl song "What Do Pretty Girls Do?" and it finally found a home in the e-book and print anthology The Cougar Book

See the interview at publisher Logical-Lust.

Does your writing turn you on?

Once in a while it does. The more personal stories, the ones inspired by a lover or a crush, often move me. Others turn me on more mentally than physically. It’s often in rereading my work, whether live at my reading series, In The Flesh, or to myself, that the power of it truly hits me. I sometimes go into a little writing trance and forget exactly what I’m writing, perhaps as a way to protect myself from fearing publishing truly filthy thoughts or feelings.

My new official tagline

Thanks to sex columnist Audrey Ference, aka The Natural Redhead, at The L Magazine: (bolding mine):

Rachel Kramer Bussel
What part of feminist sex-positive cupcake-loving literary pin-up doesn't sound awesome? Rachel wrote the Lusty Lady column for the Voice for years and she is an author, editor, model, and just sex person in general. She runs the In the Flesh reading series at Happy Ending, and besides all of that is just about the nicest person I have ever met. Yeah, that's right, I know famous people. rachelkramerbussel.com

Win Peep Show: Erotic Tales of Vyeurs and Exhibitionists and read my interview at The Skint

I'm interviewed at one of my favorite sites, The Skint, AND you can win one of 3 copies of Peep Show: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists.

I answer questions like "You're trying to get into someone's pants, but have just $25 to spend on a date. Discuss." Read my answer at The Skint (which you should SO bookmark if you're in NYC and join their newsletter).

It's fitting that I was on Cheap Date because I am a cheap date

You can read more about that in my interview tomorrow at must-bookmark NYC cheap things-to-do site The Skint.

You can listen to me chatting with Cathy Erway of mouthwatering food blog Not Eating Out In New York fame and Michael Cirino on yesterday's Cheap Date radio show, shot at a pizzeria, Roberta's Pizza! The studio is just outside. We discussed whether aphrodisiacs exist, if cupcakes can be sexy, and more.

We had pizza afterwards that was delicious, one with some spicy meat (called The Beastmaster) and one with brussel sprouts! I was shocked that the foodies weren't whipping out their cameras (I smartly managed to leave mine at home). Catch Cathy Erway along with me, Emily Farris, Jenine Holmes, Rachael Parenta, Yolanda Shoshana, and Heather Whaley January 21st at Sex and Food Night at In The Flesh Reading Series. I'm working on getting us mini hot dogs!


photo by Cathy Erway

2 radio shows today

This week is hell week...umpteen deadlines and next week I go to LA on Thanksgiving Day so, um, yeah.

Today I'm on my friend Cathy Erway's radio show Cheap Date from 1-1:30 talking about food and dating. Be sure not to miss Cathy on January 21st at Sex and Food Night at In The Flesh Reading Series (click for awesome lineup).



Then tonight at 7:30 I'm on a show I've loved being a guest on for years: Derek and Romaine on Sirius XM.

Big in Canada: Globe and Mail article on me

Check out this great article about me, "Forget porn, gimme my smut" in today's Globe and Mail. Thanks so much to everyone who made that happen!


photo by Jennifer Roberts for The Globe and Mail

If you missed me on the Hella Fabulous show this morning...

You can listen to me here.

Sorry, was crazy getting back from trip and didn't have time to post, but it was so fun. What you won't catch on the radio is all of us opening our legs and flashing First Avenue, or me showing off my hot new shoes (below). BIG thanks to Hella and Ruth for having me on Hella Fabulous on East Village Radio.

Ask Me ANYTHING til October 11th at Eden Fantasys

From now through October 11th, I'm fielding questions in what's sure to be the funnest interviews I've ever done over at sex toy store Eden Fantasys.

I'll do my best to answer ALL the questions and I'd love to get over 60 questions up there. You can ask me literally anything, can be about erotica but doesn't have to be.

Also, I'll be picking my 3 favorite questioners to win a copy of one of my erotica anthologies! So ask away!

LA Times' book blog Jacket Copy (and me) on why women CAN write about sex

Carolyn Kellogg at the LA Times' book blog Jacket Copy quoted me extensively about the whole "women can't write about sex" story that The Erotic Review editor Kate Copstick has stirred up.

Here's a snippet of what I emailed to Kellogg:

I think the number one critical element is honesty, meaning using your most natural voice to write about sex. Trying to make it sound more 'porn-like' by deliberately using words that you wouldn’t normally use almost always reads in a stilted, clichéd way. Honesty, too, about sexual desire; I think part of why so many writers, male and female, use pseudonyms (approximately half of the authors in my erotica anthologies) is because it allows them more freedom to go to the often dark, disturbing, odd, etc. places their sexual imagination takes them.

Make sure to click through for the HOT kissing photo (by someone called masochismtango on Flickr, an awesome Flickr name if I've ever heard one!).

Cupcakes Take the Cake in Spirit magazine!

This is very exciting. If you fly Southwest, check out the latest issue of Spirit magazine, where my cupcake blog Cupcakes Take the Cake written up. Or see below and if that's too small, click here for a larger version. (I didn't see it on their website.) Thank you, Spirit! For those who want to read it in its original form, request a free copy here. Big thanks to Debby and Anja from Fortune Public Relations for telling us about this and sending the image.