modern porn: cupido's film award to best new short film

I've been busy this week, including with last minute work for the Modern Porn: Cupido's Film Award to Best New Short Film that I'm presenting next weekend in Oslo, Norway. I'm off this Sunday and will announce the winner the following weekend. The nominees are:

Elin Magnusson: “Skin” (Dirty Diaries, 2009) Sweden

Ingrid Ryberg: “Phone Fuck” (Dirty Diaries, 2009) Sweden

Erika Lust: “Handcuffs” (Life, Love, Lust, 2010) Sweden-Spain

Héléna Noguerra: “Peep Show Heros” (X-femmes, 2008) Belgium-France

Murielle Scherre: “actions/louder/words” (J’fais du porno et j’aime ça, 2009) Belgium

Murielle Scherre: “j’ai rendez-vous avec vous” ” (J’fais du porno et j’aime ça, 2009) Belgium

official US launch party for after pornified at smitten kitten

I am pleased to announce that the Minneapolis-based sex-positive feminist sex shop Smitten Kitten will be hosting the US launch party for After Pornified on Friday September 21st from 7 - 9 P.M. Visit TSK's event page on Facebook for this event where you can register and learn more:

Come enjoy a book reading and discussion about how women are changing porn for the positively better. Accompanied by light refreshments and opportunities to ask questions of the author!

support principled porn panel proposed for sxsw

A group of independent-minded porn makers, sex workers, and sex positive activists have put together a panel titled "Principled Porn: Is DIY Changing the Industry?" that they are proposing for the SXSW® Music and Media Conference 2013 PanelPicker. The PanelPicker was launched in 2007 to enhance community participation, allowing members of the community to both propose panels and vote on them. This panel sounds particularly interesting and I encourage you to vote on it.

About the panel:
Porn prohibitionists assert that pornography is inherently destructive for both the performer and the viewer. Yet some studies suggest that with decreased institutionalized sexism in a society comes increased variety of pornographic imagery available and the increase of positive limpact on relationships. In the age of internet video and conscientious consumption, independent porn is getting a leg up- direct access to consumers is increasing questions about how work standards being applied to the world of XXX.

announcing official after pornified launch party

I am excited to announce the official open-to-the-public launch party for After Pornified on Friday October 26th at 6 P.M. The launch party will be held at Berlin Porn Film Festival, the leading film festivals for alternative, progressive porn. The festival takes place from October 24. - 28. at an Art house cinema in the alternative district of Kreuzberg. I will be doing a reading from my book followed by discussion and book signing (there will be copies available for purchase at reduced cost). Drinks will be available in the lounge following the reading. I look forward to visiting with new and old friends.

After Pornified is now available for purchase on Amazon US; it's available for pre-ordering on Amazon UK. The official publication date is October 26.

talking 50 shades of grey with our kids

I got an email from a recent graduate of the college I used to teach this morning, asking me about my take on the "50 Shades of Grey" phenomenon, especially now that it's being stocked on end cap displays at Target and Walmart. Currently a Master's Candidate in Library and Information Science, she commented that "I see this as fully appropriate, but others see it as a huge risk to children getting their hands on erotic BDSM material. It's been banned in certain areas (but really, what book hasn't?). I don't have any kids and don't plan to any time soon, so haven't put any particularly serious thought into the specifics of teaching them about sexuality, but I enjoy your perspectives in your blog about sexuality. I'm interested in your perspective on 50 Shades of Grey and parenting, and the cultural reaction in general."

As I wrote in my response, I think the "50 Shades of Grey" phenomenon is interesting for how it's encouraging women to get "excited and invigorated with the idea that we can try something new, get creative and have fun here," as the owner of Smitten Kitten has said (quoted in my post about it here). That said, I do think it's a bit of a shame that there couldn't have been a better written book for this occasion. Now "everyone" is reading it (including my husband's grandmother!) because of it having become mainstream as a result of all the media attention. The hype about the book shows that women want porn; but they deserve better (I should use that as a pitch for my After Pornified book!).