Hard to believe, but I've dismounted from my Big Sex Little Death book tour. I am now having a quiet, discreet little nervous breakdown but it's really not that bad— I still have a smile on my face.
It all began in Detroit on March 16th and culiminated with my Grand Marshall cape flying, at the SF Pride Parade on June 26th.
Here's the reviews my memoir has garnered, if you'd like some critical snap!
Like any author who undertakes a massive book tour, I relied on the kindess and euphoria of strangers who hosted, promoted, fed, bathed, and delighted me all over the country. And, to all of you who subscribe to my blog— without you, this financially would have been impossible. Thank you so much.
I am so grateful to all of you— please consider yourself welcome at my house anytime. The chili is ON.
Aside from the sheer "animal husbandry" of keeping a touring author alive, the conversations, books, and political insights I shared with all of you are a valuable book in themselves.
*Thank you, ALL OF YOU, so much.
So What's Next?
I'm writing an illustrated guide to the erotic, political, pharmaceutical, and culinary highlights of my tour— details to come. I hope to publish that by August.
I'm doing a couple college lecture and book club dates in October this year— I have a two dates left on the calendar if you're interested. I'll post the plans by Labor Day.
There's so many places I didn't get to; like Canada, for instance.
Or Miami, Austin, New Orleans, Portland-Maine, Denver-Boulder, San Diego, Kansas City— I've received all your letters and I am pining as much as you!
My plan is: Let's plan a spring tour, next April-May. This is the time to start scheming, because it takes money, brilliant scheduleing, and willpower to pull it all off.
The E-Book, The Audiobook, The Theme Park
Do I have an e-book of Big Sex Little Death?
Yes! I have editions ready for you on Kindle, Nook, and from indy bookshops, the generic E-book.
Do I have an audio version? Of course! I even have a new page on Audible with all thirty+ my books listed.
Sex-Positive Parenting
What about my sex-postive parenting workshops? Well, for those of you who were there, I think we all left in a little bit of a daze— it was unforgettable. You could have heard a pin drop the hours we spent together. I definitely want to write about this: how raising kids changes your sex life and foretells/impacts how their sex lives will develop.
If you were there, I need your help! If you attended one of my workshops, can you remember what you said in our discussion? Send it to me!
Do you remember some of the other stories you heard? Email me what stuck in your head!
I tried in vain to remember everyone's history, but as we weren't recording or taking notes (which I'm glad of) my recollections are incomplete.
Many of you asked if I've written about motherhood and sex before— yes. See "Egg Sex" and pick up a copy of Mommy's Little Girl.
The most unexpected inspiration I had on the trail was my night-time comfort. Every evening in a strange bed, to get to sleep, I'd read, or play an audiobook, by Charles Portis.
Portis wrote True Grit, which was remade into a movie by the Coen Brothers last year— a revelation to me!
I listened to Donna Tartt read aloud that glorious prose more times than I can count. I also dived into his other classics like Norwood, Dog of the South, Gringos, and Masters of Atlantis. I can't stop re-reading and re-listening.
I began to daydream my own version of a Portis novel, an homage to his great narrators.
In my pass, the first-person is going to be a cranky bulldagger of the first water— on a great improbable journey, of course.
If you know Portis' work, I can imagine you're cackling with glee at the prospect; if you don't know what I'm talking about, just pick up a copy of anything he's written and hang on to your hat.
I realize I've been living among Portis-heads all my life and didn't know it. I once cared for a quixotic cat named "Norwood" without knowing his credentials. Hunter Thompson used to quote entire Portis passages to me, laughing up his nose, and I didn't realize he wasn't quoting himself! Okay, the jig is up, you sneaks; I'm in all the way now.
* My Special Thank You's
Detroit: Mary Lee Hannington, Leopold’s Books, Jane Slaughter, Mimi Gonzales-Barillas
Ann Arbor: David Halperin, Terri Torrko, Rohstem Mesli, Common Language Bookstore
New York: Devera and Michael Witkin, Beth Anderson, *Everyone* at Audible, Veronica Vera and Candida Royalle, Bluestockings, Kate Black, Erica Jong, Doug Henwood, Michael Letwin, Strand Books, Wil Snape and Jennifer Bassuk, Barbara Winslow
San Francisco: Martin Cate and Smuggler’s Cove, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Modern Times, Femina Potens Gallery, Carole Deutch, City Lights Bookstore, Small Press Distribution and The Bee-In
Marin: Book Passage, Jonathan Freiman, Christina Amini
Oakland: Diesel Bookstore, Ari Levenfeld and Leonora Willis
Santa Cruz: My dear neighbors, hometown friends, and Bookshop Santa Cruz
Los Angeles: Richard Olsen, Book Soup
Chicago: Rebecca Weaver-Gill, Jessica Peterson, Women and Children First, Linda Bubon, Driftglass and BlueGal
St. Louis: David Wraith, Blue Jones, Left Bank Books, Sex-Positive St. Louis
D.C./Baltimore: Tristan Taormino and Colten Tagnomino, Holly Fogleboch, Jacqui Deegan, MomentumCon, Bluestockings
Atlanta: Phillip Rashoon, Outwrite Books, Maital and Anne
Portland: Andi Zeisler, Venae Rodriguez, LiveWire Radio, BITCH, She-Bop, Powell’s Books
Seattle: Babeland, Elliott Bay Book Company, Village Books in Fairhaven
Minneapolis: The Smitten Kitten, Steve Harsin
Tucson: Chris Tanz and Jean-Paul Bierny, The Pima County Library, The Loft Cinema, Antigone Books
Pride Parade, San Francisco: SFPride.org, Marsha Levine, Veronica Garcia, Jay Remick, Honey Lee Cottrell, Closet Capers, and everyone who voted for me for Grand Marshall, what a great people's parade it was! PHotos here.
Everywhere and At All Times: Eva Zimmerman, Donna Galassi, Brooke Warner, Everyone at Seal Press, Worley-Shoemaker Management, Jon Bailiff, Jennifer Taillac.
PHOTOS: Honey Lee Cottrell, SF Pride Parade, 2011. The last photo is me in front of the staff door in City Hall that Dan White used to sneak in and kill George Moscone and Harvey Milk.
















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