It's a cliche in American culture. A boy gets his first glimpse of sex from his Dad's porn collection, which he manages to locate in the corner of the closet when his "special dirty magazine homing device" is magically activated around the age of fourteen.As a writer, I try my best to avoid cliches, although sometimes it is difficult. But if a boy finds his mom's porn collection instead, are we talking "fresh idea"? I certainly hope so.
I'm gearing up to start my new novel, which will be a look into the sexual history of both my heroine and American culture. What better way to get in touch with my own past than to pull out my porn stash and reminisce?
For the next week or so, depending on how many interesting things I find, I'm going to share nostalgic tidbits from my grown-up goodie drawer, which is actually a metal filing cabinet in my office (after all this is my work). I've got vintage Playboy's from the 1950s and 1960s, a whole stack of Viva: The International Magazine for Women (originally lifted from my sister's nightstand, now rediscovered on e-bay), a few choice Penthouse's, the complete oeuvre of Nancy Friday, The Hite Report, Gay Talese's Thy Neighbor's Wife... Well, it's really hard to list everything today, but I'm sure you don't mind. Part of the fun is in the discovery after all.
So let's creep softly to the walk-in closet, where the dusty sunlight filters through a small, shaded window. It's summertime, of course, when the afternoons are long and slow 'cause mom doesn't get home from work until four. A whole box of magazines awaits our twitching fingers. Don't giggle now, this is serious business.
School might be out, but I have a feeling we're going to get ourselves quite an education.
12 comments:
I don't think I knew about Viva (or, more likely, I was aware of it once upon a time but have long since forgotten). That's some sensuous cover photography!
I look forward to seeing what comes from your stash!
Should we get flashlights so we can read them under the covers without stirring suspicion?
I'm pretty sure I saw a Viva or two over the shoulder of a nice smelling neighbor girl back in those wacky 70's.
"But if a boy finds his mom's porn stash?"
Excellent question. Do hope you share any personal experience you have here.
I look forward to your nostalgic tidbits and also to the upcoming novel.
Peace,
A
Should we get flashlights so we can read them under the covers without stirring suspicion?**
What luck! I seem to have my flashlight in my pocket already.
Oh, wait. My mistake.
As I was saying ... that's some sensuous cover photography.
Jeremy's covered, but I've got extra flashlights if anyone needs one ;-)! Since we really will be reading this articles, this could go into the night....
Hey, Alana, thanks for stopping by! So far, my stash is actually not very hidden for the most part. My boys know I write erotica. The older one claims he doesn't want to know more. The younger one does, but we've dissuaded him so far. I fear the "spare" is a lot like me, but with more testosterone. A scary thought. Anyhow, what I guess this means is there's nothing to discover in a closet.
I once read about a novel that explored the loves of the children of a couple who wrote a sex guide. I lost interest when the premise of the book was that the kids were totally screwed up by this. So far, it doesn't seem to be the case with me, but we can check back in a few years on that! I am perhaps foolishly saving my two contributor's copies of my books to pass on to each of my boys when I die, lol.
Move over guys. You're too funny with your flashlight jokes - hand me one, will ya?
Damn, I never got to see inside Viva - though I vaguely remember seeing it on the stands.
Over my lifetime I've had a love/hate/love relationship with "the stash." Needless to say, I'm now leaving the closet door open and unrepentantly enjoying.
Too sad I can't invite you guys over and pass them around! They are fascinating studies of the heydey of the sexual revolution, of what Bob Guccione and his wife envisioned as the female equivalent of Penthouse.
Next time I'll walk you through an issue....
Donna, you're fucking fabulous. Pardon the effing, but really, you are. We have a lot in common, yeah? No pen names, the kids know what we write, etc. Let's make a deal and keep each other posted. :-)
A
What a great idea, Donna. I, too, have never heard of "Viva" and the photography looks top notch. I'd have picked it up and leafed through it. Interested to hear more.
Thank you Susan and everyone for stopping by. I think I'm going through some prude mood here, but after I posted this I wondered if I seemed, well, forward revealing all of this, lol.
Alana, thank you so much. I am a huge admirer of your work, which always strikes me as real and honest (as well as sexy), which is one of my grails. We definitely have to keep in touch about this work-family thing. I have a hunch it would change the world in a HUGE way if we could all be more comfortable with our sexuality. Maybe this could start with children knowing, in an age-appropriate way, that their parents are sexual and it's as normal as the cookies in the tin. Speaking of which, I baked some yin-yangs today, which I'd like to pass around while we peruse the materials at hand....
I'm agreeing with Jeremy here, I wasn't aware of Viva either. What wonderfully erotic covers. How the heck did I miss out on that sexy-zine?
I just read Jeremy's second comment about the flashlight. LOL!
Oooh, you know I love the thought of a boy finding his mom's stash - such social boundaries you're traversing here. I love it!
This is fascinating and I'm intrigued. Hmmm...something new for a change, right? haha.
Cool! Looking forward to it — and how exciting that you're working on your new novel! :)
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