GiGi LaFemme performing burlesque to "Joyful Girl" by Ani DiFranco at last In The Flesh Reading Series

You're welcome. Do check out GiGi LaFemme and go see her at Revealed Burlesque and all over NYC!

This photo makes me happy

This was from the first set of GiGi La Femme's performance at the last In The Flesh. And in a few months I hope to do a cool multimedia event. I don't know what yet because I'm getting through some other events first, but I loved hosting burlesque so much I want to do it again! Photo by Anya Garrett.

Last In The Flesh photos and new blog: Books Food Fashion

Here's one photo of 151 from the last In The Flesh; see the entire set by Anya Garrett, who I hope to keep on working with in some capacity, because she's wonderful. I have to set some of them to moderate (you'll just have to click to see them) since Flickr doesn't love boobs as much as I do!


yay us! And my lovely new one-shoudler Yumi Kim dress. This was during the break, right after Stormy Leather's performance.

I am on a ton of book and article deadlines, and after the last few years of sheer flakiness, trying to actually prioritize writing. I know, ME! It's a shocker, or it will be, if I get them turned in. But I am abandoning my Tumblr blog and trying to mentally kick myself when I go into blogging about my personal life mode (I should get paid for that, right?) so in lieu of my blathering about dumb stuff, I am trying to actually talk about things I like in three main areas on my new Posterous blog: Books Food Fashion. I suck at commitment, but I do find I like the structure of a blog with a topic, and those are things I have a lot to say about, especially as I set about getting rid of so many clothes and books at home. So we'll see. Gotta get back to the words, which are coming about as slowly as one can possibly write, but they are coming.

Because I was too lazy to write an essay about ending In The Flesh

From an email I just sent:

"It's been a good lesson, in the things I'm good at, like curating, and things I'm bad at, like business."

Or, in the immortal words of Liz Phair, "It's nice to be liked/but it's better by far to get paid."

Please come out tonight for 500 free cupcakes, pop song cabaret, bondage burlesque, sexy readings and so much more. If you'd told me when I started writing erotica that Laura Antoniou would ask me if she could read, or a million other things that've happened in the last five years, I never would've believed it. I'm the type of person who so easily sees all the things I did wrong, the places I didn't send the press release, the things I didn't do to get the word out, the errors, the excesses, but today and tonight and maybe, OMG, even into the future, I'm trying to see the bright side, the positive, to look forward, not back. In The Flesh has taught me so much about writing and hosting and what I enjoy about my work, and the difference between being a writer and a performer (I will always be the former, the latter I will leave to the folks who are much better at it).

And thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of you who graced the In The Flesh stage since October 2005. I really am incredibly honored.

I hope to see you tonight, and, yes, broke ass as I am, I'm taping it for those who can't be there. I'm very proud of myself for pulling the plug, because I'm such a people pleaser I could've easily gotten caught up in what I "should" do, according to people who know nothing about me, rather than the actual right decision. I have no regrets, but am excited to try to live differently, and hopefully better, in 2011, to not say yes so much, to focus on my strengths, beyond just shoving food at people.


In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the Last In The Flesh event listing. Note early start time of 7:30. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
LAST IN THE FLESH
December 16, 2010, 7:30 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

Both floors of Happy Ending Lounge will be open for this event. We recommend arriving when the doors open at 7 for a good seat.

After 5+ years, over 200 readers, countless cupcakes and sexy moments, In The Flesh Reading Series is ending. Join us for a free, festive, sexy, cupcake-filled last hurrah, with erotica, memoir, burlesque and 500 free cupcakes to celebrate! Featuring erotic writer Laura Antoniou (The Marketplace series), memoirists Nancy Balbirer (Take Your Shirt Off and Cry), and Michele Carlo (Fish Out of Agua), burlesque performers GiGi La Femme (Revealed, Wassabasco) and Stormy Leather (Webster Hall, The Box), photographer and photocomic CulutrePOP creator Seth Kushner, memoirist Stephen Markley (Publish This Book), In The Flesh alum and famed letter writer Samara O'Shea (Note to Self, For the Love of Letters), Lambda Literary Award winner Rakesh Satyal (Blue Boy) and romance novelist Kama Spice (Sehra's Honor). Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Prizes include sex toys from EdenFantasys, vibrator We-Vibe, porn DVDs from director Tristan Taormino Rough Sex 2 and Expert Guide to Advanced Fellatio, books Oysters & Chocolate: Erotic Stories of Every Flavor, Mastering Your Man from Head to Head and Sexy Slang's Bedroom Challenges: 69 Ways to Spice up Your Sex Life and free Sliquid lube giveaways, including Sliquid Swirl in Green Apple and Pink Lemonade, 120 pillow packs of Sliquids Organics Natural, plus sex toys the Sqweel and the Pin-Up. Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Giveaways include copies of SexIs Magazine and 500 cupcakes by Baked by Melissa.

In the Flesh is a monthly reading series hosted at the appropriately named
Happy Ending Lounge, and features the country's best erotic writers sharing stories to get you hot and bothered, hosted and curated by acclaimed erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. The series was named Best Reading Series by New York Press in 2009. 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 Mike Albo, Laura Antoniou, Mo Beasley, Susie Bright, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Mike Daisey, 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 Portnoy, Julie Powell, Sofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Dana Vachon, Veronica Vera, Susan Wright, Zane and many others. The series has gotten press attention from the New York Times’s UrbanEye, Daily Candy, Escape (Hong Kong), Flavorpill, The L Magazine, New York Magazine, NBC New York, New York Post, New York Observer, Philadelphia City Paper, Time Out New York, Flavorwire, Fork in the Road, Gawker, Gothamist, Jezebel.com, Nerve.com, Serious Eats, Tasting Table and Wonkette, and has been praised by Dr. Ruth.

Laura Antoniou is the author of the best selling Marketplace series of erotic novels, now published by Circlet Press and coming out in exciting e-book formats. A long time member of the smut world, she has edited over a dozen anthologies and an assortment of magazines, written far too many short stories under far too many pseudonyms to remember. In 2010, she even started re-releasing her gay male porn, written originally under the name Christopher Morgan. A popular sexuality educator, she has traveled the world teaching a variety of relationship workshops and delivering keynote speeches to generally horrified (yet amused!) audiences. Her website is
www.lantoniou.com; she is on Facebook ad Fetlife as well and invites new friends.



Nancy Balbirer's memoir, Take Your Shirt Off and Cry, was published by Bloomsbury in April. She is the author and star of the critically acclaimed solo show I Slept With Jack Kerouac and Other Stories, the co-creator of the cult reading series, Cause Celeb!, and has co-starred on Seinfeld and MTV’s Remote Control. She is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is the co-owner, designer and doyenne of the West Village boite, Pasita. She lives with remarkably few regrets in Manhattan with her husband and daughter.
takeyourshirtoffandcry.com


photo by Rob d'Entremont

Rachel Kramer Bussel is an author, editor, blogger and reading series host. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations and a former sex columnist for The Village Voice. She’s edited over 30 anthologies, including the kink-themed Spanked, Bottoms Up, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma'am, He's on Top, She's on Top, Rubber Sex as well as Fast Girls, Orgasmic, Peep Show, The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, and the non-fiction Best Sex Writing series. Her books won 3 2009 Independent Publisher Awards. Her writing been published in publications such as Clean Sheets, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Huffington Post, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Tango, The Village Voice, and Time Out New York, and in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006. Rachel conducts nationwide readings and erotic writing workshops. She has hosted In The Flesh since October 2005.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com


photo by Anya Garrett

Michele Carlo is a writer/performer and comedic storyteller who has lived in four of the five boroughs of New York City and remembers when a slice of pizza cost fifty cents. Her stories have been published in Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood’s Lost & Found: Stories From New York, Chicken Soup For The Latino Soul and SMITH Magazine. Her memoir, Fish Out of Agua: My life on neither side of the (subway) tracks, was published this summer by Citadel Press.
www.michelecarlo.com



Since 2005, GiGi La Femme has been named one of New York City’s sultriest striptease stars and is also the co-producer of the monthly show Revealed Burlesque at the Under St. Mark’s Theater. A Golden Pastie Award winner for Best Booty Shaker 2009 and Miss Coney Island 2010, the multi-talented bump ‘n’ grinder, go-go girl, chanteuse and pin-up model has traveled the nation performing signature acts such as "Spanking", "Princess Leia" and "Sweet Leaf". She is also the host of Wasabassco Burlesque at venues around New York, New England and Washington, DC.
gigilafemme.com


photo by Greg Brophy

Seth Kushner shoots portraits of celebrity-types for such publications The New York Times Magazine, Time, Newsweek, Businessweek, L'Uomo Vogue and others. Seth's first book, The Brooklynites, was published by powerHouse Books in 2007. His next book, Leaping Tall Buildings, will be released in 2101.
Currently, he co-edits GRAPHIC NYC (www.NYCGraphicNovelists.com) and is working on CulturePOP, his photocomix series on ACT-I-VATE.com.
Seth resides in Brooklyn with his wife, baby boy, and too many comics.
www.SethKushner.com



Stephen Markley is an Ohio transplant, who graduated from Miami University in 2006. After an eight month, 12,000 mile cross-country road trip that left him completely broke, he made the daring decision to move to Chicago. As far as he knows, he is the only person from that school in this city. He writes for Cars.com's blog KickingTires and his freelance work has appeared in the Chicago Reader, RadarOnline, the Populist Progressive, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, Private Investigator's Magazine, Midnight Times, and the Weber Studies Journal. Most importantly, he is an author. His first book, Publish This Book, can be found on Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.
www.stephenmarkley.com



Samara O’Shea has written two narrative non-fiction books—one on the art of letter writing and the other on the importance of keeping a journal. On her website, LetterLover.net, she offers to write letters and wedding vows for those struggling to find the right words. This is Samara’s fourth time reading at In the Flesh. She is honored to have been a part of this wonderful reading series. Samara will be reading from her unpublished book, Don’t Make Me Defriend You, about losing her cyber virginity.
www.letterlover.net



Rakesh Satyal is the author of the novel Blue Boy, a gender-bending comedy about a young Indian American boy's fascination with the Hindu god Krishna. He is an editor at HarperCollins, where he works with such authors as Paulo Coelho, Clive Barker, Armistead Maupin, and Paul Rudnick. A member of the planning committee for the annual PEN World Voices Festival, he sings a popular cabaret show in the city. He lives in Brooklyn.
rakeshsatyal.com



Kama Spice has lived in the East and the West and merges both in her stories. She considers herself a pro-sex feminist who likes to explore the point where spirit and eros converge to create power. Kama is published in various genres and has two erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave, with a third forthcoming.
KamaSpice.com



Sweeping in from the the plains of Oklahoma, Stormy Leather has breezed through the ranks of the New York City burlesque scene to find herself both in demand and in the spotlight. A regular by request at top clubs, including The Slipper Room, Webster Hall, and The Box, Stormy has been blowing away audiences with a whirlwind of elegance, ingenuity, and seduction. Her repertoire of original material is a cyclone of genres: fan dancing, tassel twirling, sexually ambiguous drag, rock n' roll, and even rope bondage and hot wax fetishism. A Stormy Leather strip tease showers you with sex and talent, leaving you breathless, winded, and wet. Playing in a storm has never been so much fun...
www.stormyleathernyc.com



You will hear from the following books:


Best Bondage Erotica 2011


Fish Out of Agua


Publish This Book

Free porn DVDs from Tristan Taormino: Rough Sex 2 & Expert Guide to Advanced Fellatio, plus penis and vulva candles, all December 16th!

I know you're going to be there next Thursday for the last In The Flesh, right? We're opening both floors of Happy Ending and there'll be an afterparty. Plus bondage burlesque, a bondage photo slideshow, pop song cabaret and hot hot readings! And prizes, sooooo many prizes.

Courtesy of porn director and author Tristan Taormino are these 2 DVDs we'll be giving away, along with a slew of other fabulous prizes, on December 16th (see below for full event listing and author bios)! Visit her site to find out more about these DVDs and many others. Thank you, Tristan!


Tristan Taormino's The Expert Guide to Advanced Fellatio


Tristan Taormino's Rough Sex 2 stars Madison Young, who famously read at In The Flesh earlier this year. Watch the video from Madison reading at BDSM Night.


Madison Young; photo by Anya Garrett; see more here

In The Flesh host Rachel Kramer Bussel is donating these penis and vulva candles, purchased at Coco de Mer, from her personal collection as prizes on December 16th!




In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the Last In The Flesh event listing. Note early start time of 7:30. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
LAST IN THE FLESH
December 16, 2010, 7:30 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

Both floors of Happy Ending Lounge will be open for this event. We recommend arriving when the doors open at 7 for a good seat.

After 5+ years, over 200 readers, countless cupcakes and sexy moments, In The Flesh Reading Series is ending. Join us for a free, festive, sexy, cupcake-filled last hurrah, with erotica, memoir, burlesque and 500 free cupcakes to celebrate! Featuring erotic writer Laura Antoniou (The Marketplace series), memoirists Nancy Balbirer (Take Your Shirt Off and Cry), and Michele Carlo (Fish Out of Agua), burlesque performers GiGi La Femme (Revealed, Wassabasco) and Stormy Leather (Webster Hall, The Box), photographer and photocomic CulutrePOP creator Seth Kushner, memoirist Stephen Markley (Publish This Book), In The Flesh alum and famed letter writer Samara O'Shea (Note to Self, For the Love of Letters), Lambda Literary Award winner Rakesh Satyal (Blue Boy) and romance novelist Kama Spice (Sehra's Honor). Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Prizes include sex toys from EdenFantasys, vibrator We-Vibe, porn DVDs from director Tristan Taormino Rough Sex 2 and Expert Guide to Advanced Fellatio, books Oysters & Chocolate: Erotic Stories of Every Flavor, Mastering Your Man from Head to Head and Sexy Slang's Bedroom Challenges: 69 Ways to Spice up Your Sex Life and free Sliquid lube samples. Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Giveaways include copies of SexIs Magazine and 500 cupcakes by Baked by Melissa.

No more NYC event hosting for me after December 16th

I'll post more about Comedy Sex Night November 18th, where, if my non-tech brain can figure out how to upload a video off my iPhone (I know it's supposed to be "easy" but for me it's not) I will be showing a video about my sex toy collection and what my personal organizer did with it, but your last chance to see me host an event for at least a year will be December 16th at the last In The Flesh. I will be on a plane to Los Angeles next Thursday night for a project I'll be sharing about when I can, and a chance to catch up with lots of old and new friends, pose for photos, see Sugar Daddy by Fielding Edlow and attend CupcakeCamp LA. More on all the LA madness soon.

I can safely say it's very sad that I am missing Comedy Sex Night and if there were any way I could've rearranged it I would have. I've been anticipating Sara Schaefer's set for 6 months because I know what the story's about and, uh, let's just say it's a topic close to my heart (or perhaps a body part higher up). It's going to be an amazing, sidesplitting night and I might actually break my no organizing rule to host a comedy show because I love comedy and these comedians in particular

I do have an event I'm speaking at coming up at McNally Jackson in February and I'm sure there will be assorted NYC readings, but I will not be hosting/organizing anything so as to focus on my writing and to actually attend some of the other kickass events that happen in NYC, like Drunken! Careening! Writers! and Steamboat, which I've had to miss every month because of In The Flesh.

In 2011, unless something unusual comes up, I won't be hosting or organizing any NYC events. I don't have the time, energy or cash for it, not to mention can't handle the stress. I will be traveling and have confirmed plans for a January 28th reading at The Booksmith in San Francisco, and am hoping to do readings in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Minneapolis in 2011.

My point was, if you want to catch me reading (probably "Vegas Treat" from the just-released Best Bondage Erotica 2011) and hosting, not to mention catch a kickass event of burlesque, cabaret, memoir and erotica and possibly music, plus nosh on 500 cupcakes and get cool prizes, don't miss the last In The Flesh on December 16th!


In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the Last In The Flesh event listing. Note early start time of 7:30. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
LAST IN THE FLESH
December 16, 2010, 7:30 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

After 5+ years, over 200 readers, countless cupcakes and sexy moments, In The Flesh Reading Series is ending. Join us for a free, festive, sexy, cupcake-filled last hurrah, with erotica, memoir, burlesque and 500 free cupcakes to celebrate!Featuring memoirists Nancy Balbirer (Take Your Shirt Off and Cry), and Michele Carlo (Fish Out of Agua), burlesque performer GiGi La Femme (Revealed, Wassabasco), memoirist Stephen Markley (Publish This Book), In The Flesh alum and famed letter writer Samara O'Shea (Note to Self, For the Love of Letters), Lambda Literary Award winner Rakesh Satyal (Blue Boy) and romance novelist Kama Spice (Sehra's Honor). Hosted and curated by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Best Bondage Erotica 2011, Passion, Orgasmic, Fast Girls). Giveaways include copies of SexIs Magazine and 500 cupcakes by Baked by Melissa.

In the Flesh is a monthly reading series hosted at the appropriately named
Happy Ending Lounge, and features the country's best erotic writers sharing stories to get you hot and bothered, hosted and curated by acclaimed erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. The series was named Best Reading Series by New York Press in 2009. 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 Mike Albo, Laura Antoniou, Mo Beasley, Susie Bright, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Mike Daisey, 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 Portnoy, Julie Powell, Sofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Dana Vachon, Veronica Vera, Susan Wright, Zane and many others. The series has gotten press attention from the New York Times’s UrbanEye, Daily Candy, Escape (Hong Kong), Flavorpill, The L Magazine, New York Magazine, NBC New York, New York Post, New York Observer, Philadelphia City Paper, Time Out New York, Flavorwire, Fork in the Road, Gawker, Gothamist, Jezebel.com, Nerve.com, Serious Eats, Tasting Table and Wonkette, and has been praised by Dr. Ruth.

Nancy Balbirer's memoir, Take Your Shirt Off and Cry, was published by Bloomsbury in April. She is the author and star of the critically acclaimed solo show I Slept With Jack Kerouac and Other Stories, the co-creator of the cult reading series, Cause Celeb!, and has co-starred on Seinfeld and MTV’s Remote Control. She is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is the co-owner, designer and doyenne of the West Village boite, Pasita. She lives with remarkably few regrets in Manhattan with her husband and daughter.
takeyourshirtoffandcry.com


photo by Rob d'Entremont


Rachel Kramer Bussel is an author, editor, blogger and reading series host. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations and a former sex columnist for The Village Voice. She’s edited over 30 anthologies, including the kink-themed Spanked, Bottoms Up, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma'am, He's on Top, She's on Top, Rubber Sex as well as Fast Girls, Orgasmic, Peep Show, The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, and the non-fiction Best Sex Writing series. Her books won 3 2009 Independent Publisher Awards. Her writing been published in publications such as Clean Sheets, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Huffington Post, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Tango, The Village Voice, and Time Out New York, and in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006. Rachel conducts nationwide readings and erotic writing workshops. She has hosted In The Flesh since October 2005.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com


photo by Anya Garrett

Michele Carlo is a writer/performer and comedic storyteller who has lived in four of the five boroughs of New York City and remembers when a slice of pizza cost fifty cents. Her stories have been published in Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood’s Lost & Found: Stories From New York, Chicken Soup For The Latino Soul and SMITH Magazine. Her memoir, Fish Out of Agua: My life on neither side of the (subway) tracks, was published this summer by Citadel Press.
www.michelecarlo.com



Since 2005, GiGi La Femme has been named one of New York City’s sultriest striptease stars and is also the co-producer of the monthly show Revealed Burlesque at the Under St. Mark’s Theater. A Golden Pastie Award winner for Best Booty Shaker 2009 and Miss Coney Island 2010, the multi-talented bump ‘n’ grinder, go-go girl, chanteuse and pin-up model has traveled the nation performing signature acts such as "Spanking", "Princess Leia" and "Sweet Leaf". She is also the host of Wasabassco Burlesque at venues around New York, New England and Washington, DC.
gigilafemme.com


photo by Greg Brophy

Stephen Markley is an Ohio transplant, who graduated from Miami University in 2006. After an eight month, 12,000 mile cross-country road trip that left him completely broke, he made the daring decision to move to Chicago. As far as he knows, he is the only person from that school in this city. He writes for Cars.com's blog KickingTires and his freelance work has appeared in the Chicago Reader, RadarOnline, the Populist Progressive, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, Private Investigator's Magazine, Midnight Times, and the Weber Studies Journal. Most importantly, he is an author. His first book, Publish This Book, can be found on Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.
www.stephenmarkley.com



Samara O’Shea has written two narrative non-fiction books—one on the art of letter writing and the other on the importance of keeping a journal. On her website, LetterLover.net, she offers to write letters and wedding vows for those struggling to find the right words. This is Samara’s fourth time reading at In the Flesh. She is honored to have been a part of this wonderful reading series. Samara will be reading from her unpublished book, Don’t Make Me Defriend You, about losing her cyber virginity.
www.letterlover.net



Rakesh Satyal is the author of the novel Blue Boy, a gender-bending comedy about a young Indian American boy's fascination with the Hindu god Krishna. He is an editor at HarperCollins, where he works with such authors as Paulo Coelho, Clive Barker, Armistead Maupin, and Paul Rudnick. A member of the planning committee for the annual PEN World Voices Festival, he sings a popular cabaret show in the city. He lives in Brooklyn.
rakeshsatyal.com



Kama Spice has lived in the East and the West and merges both in her stories. She considers herself a pro-sex feminist who likes to explore the point where spirit and eros converge to create power. Kama is published in various genres and has two erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave, with a third forthcoming.
KamaSpice.com

Glam fashion shots of me in ModCloth dress by Anya Garrett

These photos are from last Thursday's Orgasm Night at In The Flesh at Happy Ending Lounge; all are by Anya Garrett. See many more photos from that night in this Flickr set.


In my ModCloth Bossa Nova dress, which I give 5 of 5 stars. It feels amazing on and is the first one-shouldered dress I've worn. Plus the gold accent gives me an excuse to get gold and black tights and pair it with my gold and black Fluevogs (Precious, I can't seem to find an exact link for them, but I first saw them at Fluevog in Beverly Hills, ordered them from Zappos). I felt amazing in it and didn't want to take it off. Tights: $7.99 at Duane Reade.





And our group photo, plus a reminder about Comedy Sex Night November 18th, whose lineup is being added to. Also don't miss free cupcakes and my birthday celebration and Passion: Erotic Romance for Women reading November 11th; details on Facebook.


Back row L to R: Lana Fox, Velvet Moore, Laura Boyd, Daniel Allen Cox, Graydancer
Front row L to R: Heidi Champa, Beth Raymer, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Dusty Horn

4 free vibrators August 19th at Summer Sex/Sex on the Beach Night!

We're so excited that sponsor EdenFantasys has given us four (yes, four!) waterproof vibrators to give away August 19th, in keeping with our Summer Sex/Sex on the Beach theme. Pay close attention to the readers as winners will be chosen by correctly answering trivia questions!

We'll have the waterproof travel blaster vibrator in purple and red!

Blast your way to pleasure with this discreet waterproof vibrator. Made of smooth and sturdy plastic, this small massager comes with a removable silicone sleeve that is phthalate free for safe and healthy play. This sleeve is covered in raised nubs to tickle and tease any erogenous zone you choose whether in the water or out. With a single push of the button on the underside of the piece, you’ll send waves of vibration throughout this little number, providing powerful but quiet stimulation that’s perfect for travel or secretive fun.





We're also giving away two Nestlin' Bunny rabbit vibrators!



Join us live August 19th to win!

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
SUMMER SEX/SEX ON THE BEACH NIGHT
August 19, 2010, 8:00 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

Get ready to get overheated at Summer Sex/Sex on the Beach night at In The Flesh! The summer's hottest fiction, a romance novelist, a documentarian, erotica and more. Featuring Abigail Ekue (The Darker Side of Lust), Eric, Hilary Thayer Hamann (Anthropology of an American Girl), Yona Zeldis McDonough (Breaking the Bank), Tony O’Neill (Sick City), Michelle Janine Robinson (Color Me Grey), filmmaker Therese Shechter (How To Lose Your Virginity) and Hope Tarr (The Tutor). Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Orgasmic, Fast Girls, Please, Sir). Mobile Libris will sell readers' books. 100 free copies of Sexis Magazine will be distributed. Free Baked by Melissa cupcakes, candy and chips will be served. This is the countdown to the final In The Flesh December 16th so don't miss a very special night!

3 August events, 3 September events (New York, Chicago, LA)

What's coming up:

August 10, 8 pm
Sideshow: The Queer Literary Carnival - erotica!

Hosted by Cheryl B. & Sinclair Sexsmith

Doors at 7:30
Phoenix
447 East 13th Street @Avenue A
Free

This month’s theme is HEAT WAVE EROTICA, starring:
Tamiko Beyer (Drunken Boat)
Rachel Kramer Bussel (In The Flesh)
Mildred Dred Gerestant (OUTMusic Spirit Award)
Kit Yan (Mr. Transman 2010)





August 19, 8-10 pm (doors at 7)

In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the Summer Sex/Sex on the Beach Night event listing. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook. 4 free waterproof vibrators will be given away courtesy of EdenFantasys and one free copy of Sick City by Tony O’Neill will be given away courtesy of Harper Perennial.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
SUMMER SEX/SEX ON THE BEACH NIGHT
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

Get ready to get overheated at Summer Sex/Sex on the Beach night at In The Flesh! The summer's hottest fiction, a romance novelist, a documentarian, erotica and more. Featuring Abigail Ekue (The Darker Side of Lust), Eric, Hilary Thayer Hamann (Anthropology of an American Girl), Yona Zeldis McDonough (Breaking the Bank), Tony O’Neill (Sick City), Michelle Janine Robinson (Color Me Grey), filmmaker Therese Shechter (How To Lose Your Virginity) and Hope Tarr (The Tutor). Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Orgasmic, Fast Girls, Please, Sir). Mobile Libris will sell readers' books. 100 free copies of Sexis Magazine will be distributed. Free Baked by Melissa cupcakes, candy and chips will be served. This is the countdown to the final In The Flesh December 16th so don't miss a very special night!

August 25, 8-9:30 pm
FLASH IN THE PANIC! reading

NOWHERE
322 E 14th St (1st/2nd) - FREE - 21+
New York, NY
Created By
Charlie Vázquez, Tomas Rafael Montalvo, Jennifer Ortiz, Matthew K. Johnson
More Info
Nowhere and host Charlie Vázquez are brief to present FLASH IN THE PANIC!, an experimental reading that will feature poets, writers, and other text-shapers who will dazzle you with ONE page (and only one side of that ONE page) of words.

Can they do it? Will they do it? Is less really more? You better bet it is. And you’ll have twelve chances to find out why. Come see and hear the razor-sharp edge of New York flash fiction, spoke...n word, and other experimental and erotic genres for yourself…plus fun music afterward!

...we recommend getting there on time!

The readers (listed alphabetically):

Rachel Kramer Bussel
Tod Crouch
Garrett Ford
Matthew K. Johnson
Patrick Kelleher
Tomas Rafael Montalvo
Jennifer Ortiz
Gabrielle Rivera
Meriam Rodriguez
Roberto Santiago

September 12, 1-4 pm, Chicago
Teaching Cupcake Business Class at The Bleeding Heart Bakery (Roscoe Village location) - click for details and to register, attendance limited to 20 people, 14 spots left.

September 16, 8-10 pm (doors at 7)


In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the September 16th In The Flesh event listing. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook. Note early start time.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
September 16, 2010, 8:00 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

Featuring African-American erotica, a mystery writer, a burlesque romance writer, a novelist and more! Featuring Logan Belle, author of a forthcoming burlesque romance series, erotica writer Megan Butcher (contributor, Best Bondage Erotica 2011), novelist Lee Houck (Yield), Greg Olear (Totally Killer), and Can't Help the Way That I Feel: Sultry Stories of African American Love, Lust and Fantasy editor Lori Bryant-Woolridge and contributors Sasha James and Erika J. Kendrick (Appetites, Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader). Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Fast Girls, Please, Sir, Please, Ma’am). Sponsored by New York Press. 100 free copies of Sexis Magazine will be distributed. Free Baked by Melissa cupcakes, candy and chips will be served. This is the countdown to the final In The Flesh December 16th so don't miss a very special night!

September 26
West Hollywood Book Fair panel on sex writing (waiting for the official details).
647 San Vicente Blvd.

The money shot of the Publishers Weekly erotica article

I'm thrilled to be quoted in Publishers Weekly's big article "Erotica--Fanning the Flames" and mentioned a few times (I also have a story in the 2011 Seal Press anthology Nice Girls, Naughty Sex) but what I Thought was the money shot, as an editor concerned about the bottom line, was:

And while short stories have been a popular form of erotica for years, it's these very-short-shorts (anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand words) that are gaining ground. Cleis Press publisher Brenda Knight, who calls them "erotica for the ADD generation," says she first noticed the trend when Alison Tyler's Frenzy: 60 Stories of Sudden Sex (2008) sold 500 copies a week for a steady six months. Last month, during Cleis's Naked Reader Book Club—held online and in partnership with sex toys retailer Edenfantasy.com—readers were unequivocal in their appreciation for the short-short story. (Also, last month Cleis published Alison Tyler's follow-up quickie collection, Got a Minute? 60 Second Erotica.)

In March 2011, Cleis will release The Big Book of Quickies, edited by popular erotica editor (and author) Rachel Kramer Bussel, who says she received more submissions for this title than for any previous anthology: "I got a huge range of styles and perspectives." Writers may have been empowered by the 1,200-word limit, she muses, although she believes that condensing an erotic story into so few sentences is actually more challenging.

If any of my books sold even 250 books a week, my finances would be very, very different, is all I can say. Gonna put a lot of effort and cash into pimping out The Big Book of Quickies next year as a Valentine's Day book and, well, a boo kof 69 short stories, about 45 more than I usually publish.

In the meantime, the paparazzi are lined up for August 19th's Summer Sex/Sex on the Beach Night at In The Flesh Reading Series and we're giving away waterproof vibrators from EdenFantasys! Dress up and join us!

Hear me live and/or on audio

My story in the fairy tale erotica anthology Alison's Wonderland is now available for download from Audible.com. I haven't heard it and am not really a book listener myself but for those of you so inclined, it's cheaper than the paperback at $7.49 if you sign up for Audible (I'm a member to listen to Susie Bright).

And of course, for the next 6 months you can hear me live every 3rd Thursday. I'm totally nervous about Thursday's reading, there are too many readers, though they are all outstanding, so I will be there with a timer and a fast-beating heart and probably stuffing my face full of barbecue potato chips. I plan to go all out with the food and you SO don't want to miss this. Twitter handles and details below. More on my weekend and the wonderful reading I attended co-hosted by Jo Weldon at green event space The Wild Project soon. Deadlines and sunshine await.


In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the Media Sex Night event listing. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook. Note early start time.

You can also check out our wonderful bookseller Mobile Libris at @MobileLibris. And, of course, do follow @InTheFleshNYC for all things In The Flesh.

Kevin Allison @RISKshow

Rachel Kramer Bussel @raquelita

Twanna A. Hines @funkybrownchick

Jillian Lauren @jillylauren

Paulie & Pauline (@Off_the_Set)

Jerry Portwood @N_YPress

Rachel Shukert @RachelShukert

Jo Weldon @joweldon

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
MEDIA SEX NIGHT
July 15, 2010, 7:30 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

Media superstars invade In The Flesh. Featuring Kevin Allison (The State, RISK show), Penny Arcade (Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore!), Twanna A. Hines (FunkyBrownChick.com), Jillian Lauren (New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem), Paulie & Pauline (Off The Set), Jerry Portwood (New York Press), Rachel Shukert (Everything Is Going to Be Great) and reading plus performance from Jo Weldon (The Burlesque Handbook). Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Fast Girls, Please, Sir, Please, Ma’am). Sponsored by New York Press. Books will be available for sale by Mobile Libris. Cleis Press erotica books as well as a vibrator and Kegelcisor from EdenFantasys will be given away. 100 free copies of Sexis Magazine will be distributed. Free Baked by Melissa cupcakes, candy and chips will be served. This is the countdown to the final In The Flesh December 16th so don't miss a very special night!

Host mode

See more of Anya Garrett's photos from May's True Sex Confessions Night here, including the foot and breast massage snaps (thanks, Luna, who gave amazing massages, impromptu, to me and Diva). You have 7 more chances to catch In The Flesh before it ends! Next 2 are June 17th, GLBT Night, and July 15th, Media Sex Night!

Goodbye In The Flesh - 7 more chances to attend!

There are 7 more In The Flesh Reading Series nights left before I end it! It's been wonderful, but it's time to move on and not waste so much time and money and energy that I don't have. June's lineup is below. And unless you want me to hate you, don't suggest I keep it going. I've tried, trust me. Unless I find a sponsor who can pony up $225/month and a really dedicated intern who is there every month to help with PR and lugging crap all over the city, this decision is final. As it well should be. 5 years is more than enough and I need to focus on my life and making money, not losing it.




In The Flesh logo by Molly Crabapple

There is no RSVP requirement, but if you'd like to RSVP and/or spread the word on Facebook, click here for the True Sex Confessions event listing. See also the In The Flesh Reading Series fan page on Facebook.

IN THE FLESH EROTIC READING SERIES
GLBT EROTICA NIGHT
June 17, 2010, 8 pm - 10 pm
AT HAPPY ENDING LOUNGE, 302 BROOME STREET, NYC
(B/D to Grand, J/M/Z to Bowery, F to Delancey or F/V to 2nd Avenue, http://www.happyendinglounge.com)
Between Forsyth & Eldridge. Look for the hot pink awning that says "XIE HE Health Club."
Admission: Free
Happy Ending Lounge: 212-334-9676
http://www.inthefleshreadingseries.com

In The Flesh goes gay for you! Our annual GLBT Erotica Night is back. Featuring Porno Bingo host and former porn star Will Clark, novelist Dario Dalla Lasta (The Three Red Lines), performer Cas Marino, PANIC! reading series host Charlie Vázquez and Girl Crush: Women's Erotic Fantasies contributors Annabeth Leong and Julia Peters. Hosted by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Editor, Peep Show, Bottoms Up). 100 free copies of Sexis Magazine will be distributed. Free cupcakes by Baked by Melissa and chips, cookies and candy will be served.

In the Flesh is a monthly reading series hosted at the appropriately named
Happy Ending Lounge, and features the country's best erotic writers sharing stories to get you hot and bothered, hosted and curated by acclaimed erotic writer and editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. The series was named Best Reading Series by New York Press in 2009. 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, Susie Bright, Lily Burana, Jessica Cutler, Mike Daisey, 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 Portnoy, Sofia Quintero, M.J. Rose, Lauren Sanders, Danyel Smith, Grant Stoddard, Cecilia Tan, Carol Taylor, Dana Vachon, Veronica Vera, Susan Wright, Zane and many others. The series has gotten press attention from the New York Times’s UrbanEye, Escape (Hong Kong), Flavorpill, The L Magazine, New York Magazine, NBC New York, New York Post, New York Observer, Philadelphia City Paper, Time Out New York, Flavorwire, Fork in the Road, Gawker, Gothamist, Jezebel.com, Nerve.com, Serious Eats, Tasting Table and Wonkette, and has been praised by Dr. Ruth.

Rachel Kramer Bussel is an author, editor, blogger and reading series host. She is Senior Editor at Penthouse Variations and a former sex columnist for The Village Voice. She’s edited over 30 anthologies, including the kink-themed Spanked, Bottoms Up, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma'am, He's on Top, She's on Top, Rubber Sex as well as Peep Show, The Mile High Club: Plane Sex Stories, Do Not Disturb: Hotel Sex Stories, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, and the non-fiction Best Sex Writing series. Her books won 3 2009 Independent Publisher Awards. Her writing been published in publications such as Clean Sheets, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Huffington Post, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Tango, The Village Voice, and Time Out New York, and in over 100 anthologies, including Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006. Rachel conducts nationwide readings and erotic writing workshops. She has hosted In The Flesh since October 2005.
www.rachelkramerbussel.com


photo by Anya Garrett

Will Clark, a Wisconsin native but diehard New Yorker since the early 90s, has been entertaining for the past 20 years, first as an actor, after having earned a Masters degree from Northwestern University, and then in adult films (1995 – 1999, 2003, 48 films) and stripper at clubs around the country (1996 – 2005, 2007) then touring with his own one man show “Altered Ego” (2002 – 2005, New York, Chicago,
Provincetown, New Orleans). Since 1997, he’s worked non-stop as an MC and producer at over a thousand events featuring LGBT celebs raising money for LGBT non profits. Currently, he can be seen at his weekly “Porno Bingo” event in NYC at Pieces. This spring, he returned to his acting roots and was featured in the off Broadway smash, “When Joey Married Bobby” at the Roy Arias Theatre. You can read his blog at
www.willclarkworld.com.



Dario Dalla Lasta is a graduate of Pepperdine University and Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, CA (he just wants you to know he’s well-educated and once frolicked on such star-drenched sands). On the roller coaster ride of his life so far, he’s been a lawyer, a divorcee, a music industry pundit, an actor, a go-go boy, and a fetish model. For the past five years, he’s been hitting the queer scene as DJ Dario Speedwagon, spinning “cock rock and pussy pop” throughout Brooklyn and NYC. Dario resides in Williamsburg with his boyfriend Michael Bailey and their adorable dog Chavez. The Three Red Lines is his first novel, but he’s completed a second one entitled The Force of Destiny and is currently begging publishers to read the damn thing.



Annabeth Leong's erotica has appeared on the Oysters and Chocolate website and in several anthologies, including Girl Crush from Cleis Press and Coming Together: As One. Visit her blog at http://annabethleong.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/AnnabethLeong.

Cas Marino is an actor, singer, writer, producer and artist living and playing in New York City. He's best known for his stage work in the NYC International Fringe Festival, acclaimed revivals of "Torch Song Trilogy" and "La Cage Aux Folles", as well as cabaret and independent theater performances in and around the city. His film work can be seen in the upcoming independent shorts, "Honey" and "Tu & Eu" due out soon. Now having added Celebrity Blogger to his curricula vitae with his regular contributions to Phrolix.com, Cas is the self-proclaimed "voice of the socio-sexual intelligentsia, if not the fashionistas and the glitterati," all for a good hearted glimpse into the thoughts and actions of one man living his life proud, and out loud, in New York City. Cas’ blogs bring that one-on-one camaraderie to his fans as he discusses the adult themes of love, loss, and low-carb living with great frankness and warmth, plenty of adult language and imagery, and above all, great humor. To read Cas’ blogs, visit http://www.phrolix.com/cas-marino.

Julia Peters is the nom de porn of a very nice lady who lives and works in New York City. Her fiction has been published in Playgirl, Girl Crush, The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, From Porn to Poetry 2, and others. She has also been published online at Clean Sheets (www.cleansheets.com), where she was a fiction editor. This is her first published work of erotica in quite some time, and she's so happy she's howling at the moon, which would do the wolves who raised her proud.

Charlie Vázquez is a radical Bronx-bred writer of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent. His fiction and essays have been published in anthologies such as Queer and Catholic (Taylor & Francis, 2007) and Best Gay Love Stories: NYC (Alyson, 2006). His writing has also appeared in print and online publications such as The Advocate, Chelsea Clinton News, New York Press and Ganymede Journal. Charlie hosts a monthly reading series called PANIC! (in the East Village), which focuses on original queer fiction and poetry. He will be reading from Contraband tonight, his second novel, which was just published by Rebel Satori Press.



You will be hearing from:


Girl Crush: Women's Erotic Fantasies


The Three Red Lines