Let’s chat about erotica.
You may already be aware of Bands of a Small Hurricane, my next literary fiction release due out in just a few months, Oct 4. But you’ve no doubt heard considerably less about the next book.
Sex for Poets.
Sex for Poets is still a work-in-progress, but is slated for release in the Fall of ’23. In a very short amount of time, I will begin posting read-aloud chapter by chapter reveals (the rough draft) on a Youtube channel titled: “Late Night Date Night Storytime” (or something like that). And then it will be out there in the public for all to see and hear.
I’m nervous.
It’s erotica, and not the traditional kind. I describe it as “a high-art literary interpretation of erotica”. Sex for Poets is…different. Yes, it’s a full novel, not a collection of stories. But when one writes a scene of unique erotica, followed by an entire novel of unique erotica, one can’t help but worry: what will the neighbors think?
And how might this have a trickle-down effect on my regular life? Will people see me differently after they read it? Drastically? Will they love it? Will it have zero negative impact at all? Very soon, I will know these answers.
I don’t have any hangups about sex, writing about sex, images of sexuality. Whatever. Have at it. I’m an artist walking through this world, first and foremost. So if I’m gonna tackle this sometimes-taboo topic, I can guarantee you it’s not just two people banging. It must be weird. It must be different. It must be art.
But.
My child might read it (he’s 17, not so much a child, but still…I’m his mother). My parents might read it (perhaps not the best idea, guys). In my regular life, I work as a real estate photographer. My clients might read it (please keep hiring me; I’m not a weirdo, I promise). My boyfriend’s family might read it (will they look at me differently at holiday dinners?). And what about my kid’s friend’s parents. Will they read it, too?
And just like that, the room begins to spin.
But it is what it is.
Art gets a little weird sometimes. And artists have to be brave and put it out there and let the cards fall where they will. Because what’s the alternative? Censorship? Not for this girl.
Below is the working cover to enjoy in the meantime, which will be largely unchanged by publication time. Perhaps just a tweak here and there.
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