Two men walk into a room and whip out their dicks...you won't believe what happens next!

I'm not going to apologize for this post title. I had to do it! You can find out exactly what happens in my column "What happens when a 'manwhore' podcast host gets naked with guests" about Billy Procida and his nude episodes of The Manwhore Podcast in Philadelphia City Paper. Missed any past columns? Read the archives here and send any story ideas, be they interesting people, events, subjects, fetishes, etc., to rachelcitypaper at gmail.com. Thanks for reading!

Naked ladies and oral sex and liking Blizzard Juno Jersey as much as Curaçao

Those are the topics of my sex columns this week: I wrote about naked women and men and Caitlin Stasey's new site Herself.com for Philadelphia City Paper and about attitudes around cunnilingus now that it's having its pop culture moment for DAME. As always, I'm open to new column topic suggestions at rachelkb at gmail.com and if you like the columns, please click "like" at the top and/or otherwise pass it on. It helps enormously to show my editors that people want to read me on sex.

I will go out on a limb and say that unless I discover some giant sex scandal, my OrgasmQuest column will be the most popular one at City Paper for the rest of my tenure, which I think is awesome, but I also want the others to be read too, because who knows how long this ride will last? Especially because this week I was told that my column is online only because space was limited and it was either the crossword puzzle or the sex column on the chopping block. Trust me, I'd have made the same decision, because I love puzzles, but it was a little reminder to me that none of this is permanent, so thank you so much for reading, and please do pitch me! I want to feature more people, topics and sex acts/fetishes/interests that are under the radar and deserve attention, especially if there's an element, as with the OrgasmQuest, that will help other people.

Blogging has been light because with Blizzard Juno I got a bunch of new assignments which has been wonderful but made me a busier freelancer than I've ever been. So a deluge of sex articles are coming from me as I count down for the release of Best Bondage Erotica 2015, which you can follow @bestbondage on Twitter and read a free excerpt from the crazy hot nude bondage story "The Centerpiece" by Erin Spillane here. You would hardly think that a week ago I was in Curaçao for a much-needed vacation, where it looked like this:



Being away, and being able to afford to be away for a few days, felt amazing, but it's actually a little more complicated than that, and when this crazy deadline week is over, I will write about that awkwardness and the pressures and guilt of full-time freelancing for me in more depth. The funny thing is that I'm even happier, in my own way, this week in snowy New Jersey than I was on an 85-degree beach, just in a different way. I will be writing more soon about how I balance my life and time (and how I don't!), because there are some important conversations about money and writing going on, but will just end here saying that its' 6:12 a.m. and I'm already raring to go and wrapping up some pieces so I can get started on the new ones, and all I am is grateful. Last January I had no idea how I would continue to make a living. Now, at least at this very moment, I have enough work so I know that, much as I love putting my little erotica books out into the world and want them to do well, I'm not relying on them to succeed. I can feel the world cracking open for me, and all I am trying to do is be open and grateful and ready for whatever comes next. Another cool thing this week? I was quoted in The New York Times about This., a new social networking site where you can share one link per day. Right now it's invite only and I gave away all my invites, but you can sign up to be notified when they'll have more (you can also sign up with them to be added when they open it up). The place I update the most, probably because it's best suited to my ADD nature, is Twitter. I'm @raquelita.

I'm getting naked in this post

Actually, I'm writing about why I support women who take nude photos at YouBeauty, inspired by Kim Kardashian saying she'd support North West if she someday wanted to take it all off for the cameras. I also quote some women who've had wonderful experiences posing nude and give a shoutout to Substantia Jones's activist photo project Adipositivity, which produces an annual calendar I highly recommend if you like photos of sexy fat women (see my article for the link to them). What do you think? If you like my article, I'd love it if you'd pass it on.

The naked lady beat: me on Kim Kardashian's ass and other body parts in Paper magazine

"Kim Kardashian Butt Fame" is what shows up in the URL of my latest Time.com article, "I Can’t Help But Admire Kim Kardashian’s Devotion to Staying Famous", about her enduring popularity, flaunting of her sexuality and those glossy, gorgeous photos in Paper magazine. Apparently, I'm the go to girl for naked lady coverage, as I was asked to comment on Kim based on my previous piece, "Jennifer Lawrence's Breasts Aren't Sending Mixed Messages." That one I cold pitched them, and at the bottom of both pieces is more information about pitching them, for the writers reading this.

photo by Jean-Paul Goude for Paper

I wrote about Jennifer Lawrence's breasts, nudity, consent and owning our stories for TIME

For TIME Ideas, I wrote "Jennifer Lawrence's Breasts Aren't Sending Mixed Messages." I saw a few reactions on Twitter saying something to the effect of "breasts can't send messages." Well, according to the piece I was responding to, they can, and women have to pick shameful or salacious. I disagree.

Topless and Hungry for More

On Friday I had the pleasure of hanging out with The Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society in Washington Square Park and at Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar, which was a lovely venue and fed us delicious food and chocolate fondue. I am hungry for more (ha ha) of that and hope to go back there soon with all my clothes on. If you want to see me and lots of other topless ladies along with a few fully naked people having fun (needless to say, for most people these are NSFW), check out their blog post. I loved chatting with this fascinating group, eating delicious food, and giving away a few copies of my new anthology Hungry for More as well as The Big Book of Submission to women who love to read. My park reading material of choice: Bad Feminist by R. Gay. Here are two photos I took that are in fact safe for work:

My Go Topless Day article, about bare breasts and feminism

My latest for Medium is "On Go Topless Day, a look at topless activism and the law" (subtitle: "Should women defend our right to bare our breasts in public?") and I will once again ask that if you like it, click "recommend" at the bottom. I hope this piece leads to more writing for them, and the recommends help. The article is about today being Go Topless Day, women who've been arrested for going topless , and a look at topless and topfree activism, with detours into things like nurse-ins and the journalist who took her top off in the middle of interviewing a mayor. How could I not find this subject fascinating? If you click on the link in my article for The Outdoor Co-Ed Topless Pulp Fiction Society, you can see some photos of my boobs, and a different topless lady reading my book Cheeky Spanking Stories, along with us in the Washington Square Park fountain, enjoying gelato, and generally having a wonderful day. if you're into that kind of thing. I hope to cover (pun intended--there are many to be made!) another of their events soon.

Naked women dancing, Baryshnikov sighting and super comfortable seats at Young Jean Lee's Untitled Feminist Show

First I want to say that I'm not a dance critic, or any kind of critic besides a book critic, nor do I want to be. For proper professional real performance art criticism, read Culturebot or the forum of your choice.

Another caveat is that I've seen probably less than five dance performances in my life. I go to theater more than I go to the movies, and I read a lot, and sometimes I go to museums. Those are the main forms of art I consume. The idea of dance performances is not one that sounds like something I'd like. It sounds over my head, like the ideas are being expressed in a language I don't speak, hence I shy away from it, which is perhaps a vicious cycle. So in the interest of recommending it before I forget what I saw or chicken out that this is useless and amateurish, here are my thoughts.

But when my friend H. invited me to see Untitled Feminist Show by Young Jean Lee at Baryshnikov Arts Center, I said yes, based almost entirely on this image:



First thing that happened is that as we were standing outside saying hi to Melissa Febos, she spotted Baryshnikov. I'm not sure I would've recognized him, but there he was entering the theater. He was part of the audience too. We went inside and admired the crowd, which seemed to be a mix of queer folks in their twenties and thirties, burlesque fans, and theater and dance fans.

I wish I had a photo of the seats, because I think I can safely say they are the most comfortable theater seats I've ever sat in, and the prettiest. They are a teal-ish blue and were extremely comfortable; I could easily lie down and sleep on them. That helped, cause I tend to get fidgety.

Once the lights went down, the six naked performers started making their way down the stairs on either side, breathing heavily. By the time they reached the stage, I knew this was not going to be a "regular" dance performance. Firstly, it was funny. I felt invited to both ogle and appreciate and laugh at the absurdity of the naked women onstage. The dancing involved skipping, leaping, running, head banging, touching, acrobatics, acting, interacting, laughing, crying, fighting, flirting with the audience, and simulating sex acts, among other things. I was surprised that it was a far cry from whatever my preconceived notions of "dance" were.

My takeaway was that I didn't need to "know" or decipher what ever scene "meant" to enjoy it. That there were extremely minimal props besides the women's bodies--namely, lights, music and a few parasols--is remarkable. And about those bodies: not only don't you see six naked women onstage very often, but seeing the range of bodies, from what I can only describe as butch, to plus-size, tattoos peeking out here and there. Their nudity was certainly a major component of the performance, which struck me when they came out onstage at the end to take a bow in a variety of clothing and styles that I'm pretty sure would've been distracting during the show. Seeing them move in all kinds of motions naked and utterly comfortable in their skin was moving and inspiring. It made me appreciate the strength it took to lift up another woman and make it look effortless, to be so seemingly at ease. That I admired greatly.

The highlight, for me, was seeing Hilary Clark rock out to a number that was just remarkable; she was at one with the music, hair whipping each way. It was this totally pure rock appreciation moment, and she took it into the audience, including dancing right on over to Baryshnikov. It was beautiful and glorious and then segued into a fight scene that was my second favorite, in slow motion. It was a strange sensation to enjoy watching women fighting, even if it was in the context of a performance; it was beautiful, and that kindof messed with my head, but it was also real. Women aren't always BFFs with each other, and the show touches on jealousy and outsiderness and being part of a group and excluded from one. At least, I think it does.

In conclusion, I really have no idea what the fuck I'm talking about and I'm obviously self-conscious about that, but in the spirit of writing is always better than not writing, a lesson I'm still slowly, painfully and expensively learning, I'm gonna share this because I am so glad I went to the show. It was beautiful and captivating and fascinating and utterly entertaining.

Read more: Time Out New York interview with Young Jean Lee

A sushi girl, tattoos, spa sex & more in Smooth: Erotic Stories for Women

Smooth is shipping as we speak (coming up is Passion: Erotic Romance for Women next month, with the big reading from it for my 35th birthday 11/11, the reissue of Hide & Seek with a new foreword by The Burlesque Handbook author Jo Weldon and what I so so so so hope is the first of many, Best Bondage Erotica 2011! But first books first...

Smooth: Erotic Stories for Women; is an erotic anthology edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel, to be published by Cleis Press.

Order Smooth: Erotic Stories for Women from:



Amazon.com



Kindle edition (TK)



Bn.com (Barnes & Noble)



Books-a-Million



Borders



Powell's



IndieBound (find your local independent bookstore)



Cleis Press

The caress of skin against skin, the warmth of another’s touch, relishing the sight that few others get to see — these are the reasons that disrobing before sex can be so gratifying. The stories in Smooth, collected by award-winning erotic editor Rachel Kramer Bussel, capture the heat of being stripped bare, of flaunting your body, and of reveling in pure sensuality. Read along as women get tattooed, become “the sushi girl” at a restaurant, strip on the subway, go commando, host tea parties, enjoy sploshing, and much more. Featuring stories by Donna George Storey, Heidi Champa, Angela Caperton, Charlotte Stein, Louisa Harte, Jacqueline Applebee, Susan St. Aubin and other leading erotica writers, these adventurous characters have more to reveal than just being naked.



Table of Contents

Smooth: Erotic Stories for Women
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel

Introduction: Naked Girls in All Their Glory

Löyly Angela Caperton
Her Brand New Skin Elizabeth Coldwell
Eden Molly Slate
Three Stops Away Heidi Champa
The Sushi Girl Anika Gupta
This Night Suzanna V. Slate
Ink Jennifer Peters
Adornment is Power Teresa Noelle Roberts
Muscle Bound K D Grace
Shower Fittings Giselle Renarde
Clean Slate Lisabet Sarai
Live Action Susan St. Aubin
Chilly Girl Rachel Kramer Bussel
Stripped Clancy Nacht
The Tea Party Charlotte Stein
Rapunzel Jacqueline Applebee
Getting the Message Kay Jaybee
Ivy League Associates Donna George Storey
True Colors Louisa Harte

Introduction: Naked Girls in All Their Glory

Smooth. Sleek. Naked. Bare. All of these words describe the women you’ll find in this book, women who let you peek beneath their skirt hems, unbutton their blouses, reach inside their panties and in so doing, reveal something essential about themselves. They aren’t content to simply let sex happen, but are compelled to explore the ways their bodies react to every tactile moment.

These are not stories about body image or learning to love your curves. These are sensual tales in which women and men celebrate the joy of being carnal, lusty, hungry and animalistic; stories in which the urge to get naked, in the literal and figurative senses, drives women to boldly go where they haven’t before.

In the opening story, the stunning sauna romp “Löyly,” by Angela Caperton, Sorrow Cove becomes a very happy place when our heroine, Andie, submits to a sensual beating in the intense heat. Caperton writes, “Blood pounded in my veins and pooled suspiciously in my belly. Anticipation added an edge of tension and vulnerability before the bright shock of the strike. It wasn’t hard, but the leaves laced my skin with firm control, a lush wetness and a shimmer of sting that slashed my back with an awakening charge of delight. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, the fresh scent of the birch binding me in a cloud of awareness and newfound sensation.”

Food and sex are clearly twin appetites waiting to be released, and in “The Sushi Girl,” by Anika Gupta, they converge in a work setting for the narrator as she balances raw fish on her body. She doesn’t just lie there, though; she engages with her customers, lets them look and taste even as she makes sure her naked body, while still, speaks loudly.

Each of these women are stripped, whether literally, as in Clancy Nacht’s story of the same name, or in some other way that leaves them vulnerable, exposed, open to whoever they’ve let enter their most personal space. Even when they are acting as voyeurs, watching others strip down, as in “Live Action,” by Susan St. Aubin, they are being changed by what they see, by the skin that speaks to them and their fantasies.

For other characters, adorning their bodies—with tattoos in “Ink,” by Jennifer Peters, or the sensual strokes of a paintbrush in “True Colors,” by Louisa Harte—is a way to live a more vibrant, outspoken life, and their reward is a richer sex life than they’d had before. That makes sense, because when we bare all, we invite others to touch, to feel every curve, every bend, every inch of skin.

Ultimately, this is a book about getting to know your body from the outside in, about showing yourself off for a lover and knowing the power the naked body holds. At the gym, in the shower, on the subway, at a tea party, the women in Smooth leave behind their inhibitions and go where many women have only dreamed about. Sexy, playful, sensual and celebratory, these nineteen stories will be sure to entice you as they reveal so much skin.

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City

Naked Beauty and the Beast

Very cool sounding!



Buy tickets here. I totally want to go! Even though it's trivia night. When I was writing for The Village Voice and she was working as a mermaid, I gave her a Best Of, the exact title of which I forget but it had something to do with Darryl Hannah. I haven't seen her perform in a long time, which says more about my lack of going to burlesque type events than anything else, so I'm looking forward to it.

by Mat Fraser and Julie Atlas Muz
Beauty and the Beast

Monday, April 19 at 8:00PM

at Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street (at Pitt)
New York, NY 10002
Lower East Side
F or J/M/Z to Delancey/Essex; B/D to Grand Street

No children under the age of 18 permitted.

After receiving standing ovations in Zagreb, Liverpool, Zurich, Berlin, and Amsterdam, Beauty and the Beast finally comes to New York City for one night only. This innovative collaboration between British TV actor and Disability Arts celebrity Mat Fraser and New York Downtown Art Queen Julie Atlas Muz has inspired audiences to laugh, cry and question who is truly beastly and who is beautiful.

$20 tickets; $50 VIP tickets for reserved seating, signed poster, gift bag, plus a rose to throw.

Exploding any notion of Disney schmaltz, this version of Beauty and the Beast is meant exclusively for adults, no children under the age of 18 are permitted.

As the Beast, Fraser uses his physicality to demonize the desires of humankind, & performs the majority of the show nude culminating in a tender and eye-opening bath in a golden tub. Muz plays Beauty revealing the unconscious obstinacy with which girls are brainwashed by the old fairy tales and yes, by the end of the show is also nude.

Both Fraser and Muz are touted for their theatrical irreverence and have performed internationally as independent artists in theaters clubs and Art Festivals for over a decade. Fraser’s social activism & anti-PC humor coupled with Muz’s feminist glamour & sexuality create the apex of inclusive (meaning disabled and non-disabled artists) performance art theatre, where the message of accessibility is integrated in a engaging, funny, charged and truly joyful play.

Be prepared to feel outrageous love in this funny, moving, sexy, wanton, playful, intelligent and thought provoking show as Fraser and Muz reveal their fantasy world, and perform beastly & beautiful acts of love for you.

Call for Submissions: Naked

Putting these in separate posts for ease of linking. I also very much need stories for this book, but the deadline isn't until January 1st.

Call for Submissions

Naked
To be edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel and published by Cleis Press in Fall 2010
Deadline: January 1, 2010

Female authors only as this is a book of women’s erotica. This book of erotica by women will focus on the theme of being naked in some way and should be told from a female POV, first, second or third person. How you interpret that is up to you; literal nudity, being emotionally naked, voyeurism, exhibitionism, body piercings, sex toys, tattoos, dressing and undressing, orgies/mass nudity, etc. Those are just the tip of the naked iceberg. All sexual orientations welcome though the book will primarily focus on heterosexual stories.

PLEASE do feel free to go outside the box, as it were. Naked doesn’t have to mean literally “without clothes” and a woman doesn’t necessarily have to be naked, or “naked,” for a story to work. The more creative, the better. As an editor, I look for stories that work individually and as part of a whole, so sometimes have to reject pieces that are too similar to others I’ve received, even when both are excellent. Please keep this in mind as you explore this topic and use the word/concept/idea of “naked” as a starting point for your story.

For an idea of the kinds of stories I like, please see any of my anthologies, especially The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories (both Cleis Press) and Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women (Seal Press).

All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality.

Payment: Contributors will receive $50/story and 2 copies of the anthology on publication.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-5,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to nakedantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you'd like to be credited as. I will be accepting stories on a rolling basis so the sooner you submit, the better. Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript so you can expect a final answer by July 2010 at the latest, but you will hear from me by March 1, 2010.

I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them or risk your submission being rejected or returned for reformatting. If you have any questions, please contact me at nakedantho@gmail.com

About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 25 anthologies, including Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He’s on Top, She’s on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, Dirty Girls, and is Best Sex Writing Series Editor. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, wrote the Lusty Lady column for The Village Voice, and has hosted and curated In The Flesh Reading Series in New York since October 2005. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright’s X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane’s Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, Time Out New York, Zink and other publications.

Orgasmic and Naked - my two new calls for submissions

I'm actually in the middle of a bunch of other editing and writing, but wanted to share these new calls (please note: female writers only this time around) to get you thinking ahead. These are public so feel free to pass them on and it's part of my mission to publish lots of new writers - new to me and new to erotica, so send away. I want a range of voices, styles, stories, characters.

Public Calls for Submissions

Orgasmic
To be edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel and published by Cleis Press in Fall 2010
Deadline: November 1, 2009

Female authors only as this is a book of women’s erotica. This book of erotica by women will focus on the theme of female orgasm and stories should be told from a female POV, in first, second or third person. There should be at least one female orgasm in each story. How they happen is up to you. I’d love to see a wide variety of stories that include sex toys (broadly defined), clitoral stimulation, G-spot exploration, female ejaculation, dirty talk, various sex positions, exhibitionism, voyeurism, oral sex, BDSM, varying locations, couples trying something new, etc. These are just some ideas to use as starting points. Female orgasm doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be the entire focus of every single story, but should be woven into the story and not be an afterthought. Please be creative and send me your hottest stories. I will consider a few stories along the lines of a woman having trouble orgasming and then learning how to climax, but those will not make up the majority of the book. I want unabashed, lusty, exciting, bold orgasms.

For an idea of the kinds of stories I like, please see any of my anthologies, especially The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories (both Cleis Press) and Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women (Seal Press).

All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality.

Payment: Contributors will receive $50/story and 2 copies of the anthology on publication.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-5,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to orgasmicantho@gmail.cmom. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you'd like to be credited as. I will be accepting stories on a rolling basis so the sooner you submit, the better. Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript so you can expect a final answer by May 2010 at the latest, but you will hear from me by January 15, 2010.

I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them or risk your submission being rejected or returned for reformatting. If you have any questions, please contact me at orgasmicantho@gmail.com

Call for Submissions

Naked
To be edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel and published by Cleis Press in Fall 2010
Deadline: January 1, 2010

Female authors only as this is a book of women’s erotica. This book of erotica by women will focus on the theme of being naked in some way and should be told from a female POV, first, second or third person. How you interpret that is up to you; literal nudity, being emotionally naked, voyeurism, exhibitionism, body piercings, sex toys, tattoos, dressing and undressing, orgies/mass nudity, etc. Those are just the tip of the naked iceberg. All sexual orientations welcome though the book will primarily focus on heterosexual stories.

PLEASE do feel free to go outside the box, as it were. Naked doesn’t have to mean literally “without clothes” and a woman doesn’t necessarily have to be naked, or “naked,” for a story to work. The more creative, the better. As an editor, I look for stories that work individually and as part of a whole, so sometimes have to reject pieces that are too similar to others I’ve received, even when both are excellent. Please keep this in mind as you explore this topic and use the word/concept/idea of “naked” as a starting point for your story.

For an idea of the kinds of stories I like, please see any of my anthologies, especially The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories (both Cleis Press) and Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women (Seal Press).

All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality.

Payment: Contributors will receive $50/story and 2 copies of the anthology on publication.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-5,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to nakedantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you'd like to be credited as. I will be accepting stories on a rolling basis so the sooner you submit, the better. Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript so you can expect a final answer by July 2010 at the latest, but you will hear from me by March 1, 2010.

I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them or risk your submission being rejected or returned for reformatting. If you have any questions, please contact me at nakedantho@gmail.com

About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 25 anthologies, including Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He’s on Top, She’s on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, Dirty Girls, and is Best Sex Writing Series Editor. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations, wrote the Lusty Lady column for The Village Voice, and has hosted and curated In The Flesh Reading Series in New York since October 2005. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright’s X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane’s Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, Time Out New York, Zink and other publications.

Susie Bright inspired by In The Flesh to strip naked in subway car

Susie Bright rocking her tiara in February 2009 at In The Flesh; photo by Stacie Joy

If this isn't a ringing endorsement from the one and only Susie Bright, I don't know what is!

I have not told Martha, or anything else, but her storytelling inspired me. I had a real New York moment that night, after I said goodbye to her and all the other authors.

The reading ended around midnight. I needed to get to the upper West Side from our bar in Chinatown. I was in a strapless evening gown, heels, a tiara. I stepped out onto Canal Street to get a cab, and the wind was howling. February, 20 degrees. Icy rain.

I could not get a cab to save my life. I motivated through sheer rage and flew into the first subway staircase I could find. I don't know the NYC subway system well. This was a "J." What the fuck. I had no idea where it went, but I was sure I could get uptown.

Once I was underground, I looked at the platform and realized... I was alone. I've never been alone on a City subway platform. It wasn't quiet, but it was soundless from "people noise." Incredible.

The train came. I knew I had to go one stop to Chambers, then transfer to a Green line. One Stop.

I was still quite alone— the only person in my J-car, speeding from Canal to Chambers. I became convinced that I could take off ALL my clothes and change into the jeans, sneakers, and t-shirt I had hidden in my tote bag.

After all, if Martha Garvey can describe getting handcuffed and fucked on a lonely Broadway night, surely I could have a brief moment of total nudity and clothes-struggling.

I did it! I was completely composed and dressed like a boring gym rat by the time I stepped off the train.

The car was warm and there was a moment when I wondered what would happen if I just sat there naked for the whole ride. Probably nothing. I took refuge in the thought that people would think I was simply a "crazy old lady." I'm not young enough to look like I'm doing it for commercial gain!

This is in response to the fabulous Martha Garvey, who was a reader at, I believe, the very first In The Flesh, reading from her story "Night Train" in Susie's gorgeous, strokeable (sp?), amazing Chronicle Books anthology X: The Erotic Treasury.