Posted on by Miss Brook$

not always the total package (of looks and brains)

A friend sent me a link to a YouTube video of porn actresses being interviewed. I’m posting the link because yes, I do have a sense of humor. I laughed, I cried, I laughed again.

Some might think this reinforces stereotypes — maybe it does. I think these ladies are a woeful exception (much like Miss Teen South Carolina). I have to wonder what Larry Flynt thinks about this video and if he’s going to require political-briefing sessions with all the talent Hustler hires.

And no, I wasn’t surprised that the Brit had a better (albeit hazy) grasp of current events than the Americans. That falls in line with studies/surveys that I’ve read about.

Posted on by Miss Brook$

deathless client responses

This is a toss-off post, really. But should be amusing.

In Dallas, when I was ready for things to move from talking to action, I’d say (like many escorts) “Would you like to get comfortable?” One day a client sitting on the couch in my incall said in perfect sincerity and innocence “I already am, thank you.”

I took his hand to lead him where I wanted him to go. And I stopped asking the question.

More recently, a client in Vegas, new to gambling, told me that he’d played Russian Roulette but didn’t like it because he kept losing.

The roulette played on the main floor of Vegas casinos is not Russian, no matter how painful it is to lose.

Posted on by Miss Brook$

terrorism is obviously a priority

Reading news about the presidential-pardon applications crossing Bush’s desk (he does not seem inclined to make many pardons right now), one caught my attention. It seems John Walker Lindh, who was picked up a few years ago fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan, wants a pardon. He’s serving a 20yr prison sentence.

Deborah Jeane Palfrey (aka The DC Madam), was facing a possible maximum sentence of 55 years when she was killed/committed suicide (take your pick). She, of course, ran an escort agency/fantasy-sex service/prostitution ring (take your pick). Article-writers covering the story said she realistically faced anywhere between 4-15 years in prison.

All this over $2 million in income she paid taxes on, with a stable of consensual employees and a very consenting clientele.

And Lindh wants a pardon because his prison sentence is obviously a bit much for him. Perhaps he feels like the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Posted on by Miss Brook$

change is in the air

An article about Michelle Obama as First Lady reminds me of a lot of issues around sex work. The writer (Allison Samuels) points out that public perception of black women are limited to: sassy single mothers, crack whores or victims of AIDS by thoughtless partners. Samuels can’t find portrayals of the very normal black women she knows: college-educated, in stable relationships, non-sassy. Until Michelle.

And I have no doubt that reactions to this article will include cries that Michelle Obama is a “privileged” black woman and does not represent the a majority experience (of course she can’t represent everyone – she is only one person with one life).

Sounds like sex work to me.

The CNBC show has ruffled feathers for various reasons, one of which is the expected sighs over its portrayal of a small segment of the industry. While high-end escorts are indeed a small percentage of sex work, so are street-based workers – who are often used to make sweeping statements about all sex work. The truth is the silent majority of sex workers fall in the middle.

That’s what average is.

I have hopes the show will start a needed dialogue about the spectrum of sex work, as well as change some perceptions. Samuels hopes Michelle can help change perceptions of the modern black woman by starting a dialogue.

There is needed change in the air. I have optimism.

In dealing with some recent issues of my own, a wise friend told me that change — no matter how positive or needed — is difficult and painful. We may not always see the process of change as something good or something we want. We can only focus on the end result of the process.

If Michelle Obama helps the country realize black woman are not caricatures, that’s a step forward. If the show helps the public realize there is a broad range to sex work, that’s a step forward to a realistic view of sex work, opening the possibility to realistic solutions to problems that need to be fixed.

I hope.

Posted on by Miss Brook$

my first anthology

So now I’m a professional blogger, I guess. My blog post about Kushiel’s Dart and how it affected my approach to my work was selected to appear in an anthology on prostitution. They paid me and everything. I have a copy of the book at home, though I haven’t cracked it yet (Gillette got an essay in there too).

I like this because it was pretty painless. All I have to do is blog for several more years and I’ll have a book! (That was a joke.)

UPDATE: Jacqueline Carey mentioned on her November homepage updates. I’m so flattered. I still probably won’t be able to speak should I get to attend another book-signing of hers.