Question #1:
I was inspired by several artists to write my erotic prompts for thirty Dare Cards.
Who among the following was NOT one of my inspirations?
a) Yoko Ono
b) Raquel Welch
c) Brian Eno
d) Boyd McDonald
e) James Cameron
Question #2:
What kind of lovers would enjoy reading and playing the "Dare Cards" with each other?
a) Straight, duh
b) Gay Divorcées
c) Post-Questioning and Pre-Wondering
d) Too Big To Fail
e) All of the Above
Question #3:
What kind of equipment or accessories do you need to play this game?
a) A bucket of Crisco and a couple German Shepherds
b) A fly fisherman would be familiar with all the basics
c) Chocolates, vibrators, rose petals, a shooter of absinthe
d) Nothing you couldn't grab out of your pocket or a kitchen drawer
Question #4:
Where did I go, on retreat, to finish writing all my Dare Cards writing when my editor told me I'd run out of time?
a) Monterey Aquarium sleepover
b) Porn set of Black Throat II in Studio City
c) Abandoned pool house in the Hamptons
d) George Orwell's Paris attic apartment on Avenue de Pot de Feu
You have until 9am, tomorrow, Thursday, to give me your answers! I think most of them are pretty easy to guess, but maybe I'll stump you...
I'll pick one lucky mind-reader tomorrow and send you a personally-kissed box of I Dare You cards before Valentine's Day.
You can post your guesses below, or email me at [email protected]— or post on Facebook.
Don't forget to send me your email address so I can send you your prize!
Everyone who plays my contest, even if they don't win, will get a Chronicle Books discount coupon for a sizzling good deal on my little box of erotic dares.
SPOILER AHEAD...
UPDATE, 2/4, with the ANSWERS!
1. Correct Answer: E
I think James Cameron is one of the most sexually uptight directors ever, a cliché-ridden, closetty, withholding mess. See my review of Avatar at link above! If anything he was a reminder of what I didn't want in an erotic game. As for the others: I got a great idea from Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece" for my game. Brian Eno was the co-creator of the 1970s Oblique Strategy Cards, which is my favorite card deck ever. Boyd McDonald's Straight to Hell journal was one of my early inspirations for being honest about sex. See the links above! And Raquel's USO tour is just... staggering. 'Nuf said.
2. Correct Answer: E
Most of the couples games, sex games, romantic games, I've seen, are like walking into Ken and Barbie's playhouse. Surreal, maybe fun for a while, but it doesn't fit. I wanted to see if I could create a lover's game that didn't stuff you in a pigeonhole. I have seen some "feminist" sex games but omg... as you can imagine, they erred on the side of tepid and politically correct. Geez! I wanted something hot, risky, imaginative, but not sexist! Is that too much to ask????? Not any more!
3. Correct Answer: D
I have to admit, it would be funnier for me to insist that it's the Crisco and the dogs that are essential.
But the truth is I wanted to make a game where you didn't have to go out and "buy" anything to play. You don't have to have some special budget or treasure trove.
You can be spontaneous; you don't have to run around for an hour to get the props. So, yes, there are times when my "dares" call for using a cell phone, or a scissors... but I think those are the kind of things that would probably be "at hand."
4. Correct Answer: A
This question was the trickiest! I live near Monterey and I do love the aquarium. It was a quick way to run away from home and meet my deadline.
Rumor has it that the aquarium designers were profoundly affected by their youthful psychedelic experiences— and I would concur. The space is a profoundly artistic, generous-of-heart, original experience of the ocean. I could lock myself in there for weeks! And yes, they do have sleep-over nights. LSD is not included, though.
Regarding the false answers: I certainly have written while on a porn set; I'd be right at home. But my fake answer this time was a shout-out to my friend Tony Lovett, who wrote the original Black Throat. Tony has replied, "Black Throat II would be like making Citizen Kane II." But of course!
I've never been to the Hamptons but I associate it with scandalous celebrity hideaways.I have been to Fire Island though.... do they have anything in common?
I have indeed spent hours of pure bliss on Avenue de Pot de Feu— and I would love to locked in a writer's garrett there. However, it was my 50th birthday that I visited Paris, not on a writing assignment.
Guess what? A French publisher has bought the translation rights to Dare Cards, so maybe I'll have to go over there and supervise! ;-)
Photo: Welch in that famous crocheted dress during her USO tours with Bob Hope.