Whore Diaries: My First Two Weeks As An Escort

by Tara Burns

Tara Burns is a whore revolutionary and a wilderbabe. Read her journal as she dives headlong into escorting after a lengthy stripping career. The book begins in a little cabin in the wilderness where the author has run out of money and ends thousands of miles away with a stack of money and thoughtful, weird, and awesome sex stories.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a prostitute or call girl? These true stories of escort sexcapades are as thoughtfully crafted as they were experienced.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Erotica, Sexuality, Sex Work

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2012

About the author

Tara Burns is a writer, a graduate student, and a former sex worker. She believes in standing up to live and then sitting down to write about it.

You can read about her old adventures at http://www.hobostripper.com
and follow her new adventures at http://www.ecowhore.com

Here are some nice things people have said about her writing:

"...it's like Steinbeck in a g-string." - Mac

"...a sort of feminist Jack Kerouac but with better writing." - Telfair

"...Susan Weed and Charles Bukowski's love child." - Grace

Reviews

[Tara Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I WROTE A BOOK!!!! It's awesome! Read it!

[Caty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable in that it reminded me keenly of the hectic pace and the euphoric discovery of my first two weeks as an escort. (God, I can't believe that occurred a *decade* ago.) I do have some qualms with how she has a bit of a woo woo new age goddess judgement on everyone's kinks, but other than that, she was even subculturally similar enough to me for me to feel a deep and comforting sense of familiarity.

[Trux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I copied this from my review on Amazon, so may be more review-y than usual.

A privilege to read!

Tara Burns shares more deeply personal, never-before-heard stories in forty-eight pages than you read in most books three or four or five times longer. Her voice hovers like an all-seeing-eye in the cold parts up above and outside of the lower 48, unique because it's under-represented (but also UNDER EXISTS / is truly exceptional in so many ways and very different from the facile, heard-it-before stories Hollywood and New York City churn out), and profoundly grounded in the wilds of nature (contrasted with her sojourns into cities and suburbs and wilderness intersecting with "civilization") plus the duality of her striking individuality and independence, and the depths of her connections to others.

I don't see any more editing problems with this book than I do with almost every other self-published ebook regardless of genre. A few raw edges combined with the wide scope of thought/life/spirit adventures should signal everybody who takes this intense peek into just a few of the journeys Tara Burns has been (and in some cases is still) on should fill you with gratitude and awe upon discovering a treasure and being excited to look forward to more.

Sex work is just a handful of many MANY reasons to be fascinated and inspired by this book and the rest of Tara's stories. Having the good fortune to be familiar with more of the stories than are represented in this taste of two weeks of her life, it's hard for me to separate these pages from the textured patchwork quilt covering miles and miles and miles of her inner life and travels. I would consider this book to be a couple of patches in that ginormous (and still expanding) one-of-a-kind quilt. Tara Burns tucks you into her stories -- stories I believe she takes incredible risks to share, making them all-the-more valuable -- and shapeshifts between the fool innocently setting out on her journey, the wise crone, and other archetypes embodied in ways we don't see often enough in mainstream media to show us all kinds of beauty, confusion, and searing insights.

If you skip reading this book or any books of hers that may follow, you'll miss out BIG TIME! Nobody else can write Tara Burns' stories, partly because of all and where she comes from and dares, but mostly because they don't have her heart or smarts. Few people do. Nobody else can tell you these stories. Nobody else has lived them in Tara's configuration (yet she humanizes and fleshes out so many experiences -- like whoring -- so many people share).

Anything Tara Burns writes from her life with her worldview is a rare gift.

[Stephanie DeGrave · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only read it because it was a book club book. It was horrible and wouldn't recommend.

[Giddy Girlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this from Amazon as a free book, and being a sucker for biographies/memoirs of all kinds I tried it out. I don't recommend that you do the same.

The book is mercifully short -- it's intended as a teaser for a larger book -- but also underwhelming. The writing is awkward and her stories are confusing. She attempts to give people fake names (to protect them) but then sometimes must use either their real names or a different fake name -- so suddenly, she's in a room with one other person but that person will go by 3 different names. It's confusing and honestly not worth trying to keep up with.

Also, the author assumes that you understand her background and personal story so she casually drops in 'oh yeah, and I was taking care of my mother who is unable to stand or walk' as if you were expected to know that and also NOT feel indignant when she leaves her mother alone in a grocery store for hours while prostituting herself. Another assumption is that the reader has any idea how the sex industry works. She mentions that she and other 'escorts' have a driver and use hotel rooms to meet men, where they have sex on-the-hour for 8-10 hours a day to make money, but there is no explanation as to how this works. Not that I need all the "secret details" but it is otherwise confusing when she's suddenly texting people and being upset about receiving text messages from 'clients' when the appointment was set up by other people.

Ultimately, I think the author wants people to read this book and accept her credentials (she includes one sentence about how she's a psychologist) and see that she's doing this as an experiment and also because she's horny and NOT because she lives in the woods and needs money to care for her infirm mother. Which would be fine, except the book is really just stories (as much as she can remember) about having sex with men for money and she throws in a couple of 'fetish' types of stories to amuse the average reader (although they are extremely mild; one guy just wants to look at her feet through a video camera).

In my opinion, the sex stories aren't worth telling. She'd be better off talking about the sex business, the industry, the psychology behind it, and her personal life struggles (her mom, finances, etc.). As is, this book needs SEVERE editing, including grammar and composition - as well as story editing.

[Byron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially a collection of blog posts about an initial stint selling ass, as its title suggests. There doesn't seem to be any larger literary or political pretense. The tone is one of straight documentation, which is both a gift and a curse. On the one hand, there is a certain gritty authenticity. This must be what's like to be a sad Backpage.com hoo-er for a living. Sometimes it's kinda hot and sometimes it's kinda scary, but mostly it's kinda boring and tedious. On the other hand, this would be a more interesting read if the sex was hotter (and of course was thus described in full detail) or if something really terrible happened. Not that I want something bad to happen to a hooker just so I can read about it. I'm just saying.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a quick read (too quick!) but the stories were entertaining. This book - the first of a trilogy - gives you a sneak peek into the author's world as an escort. It's comprised of six short essays, each detailing a wild experience with a client. If you want a quick a dirty read, this should do the trick.

[Gabriel Avocado · Rating 1 out of 5]

i read this book a few months ago and never put it on goodreads because i was too embarrassed to admit i actually finished it. this was not good or pleasant to read, and not because of the subject matter either. i love memoirs, particularly about people who have lived lives i havent, and i saw that this was a pretty short read so what was there to lose? well for starters, my patience pretty quickly went out the window.

tara burns is sort of a tedious, boring writer attempting a semi stream of consciousness that simply does not work. there are no characters, just awkward vignettes and quick glimpses into bigger stories that might be more interesting; and in fact the book simply and suddenly ends because burns wants you to read a book she promises might be more interesting than the one youre currently holding. this is not a youtube video and i dont appreciate cliffhangers in a fucking memoir of all places, especially because there just isnt a narrative or a timeline or a plot or anything at all. its just words on a page.

as for the content itself, there is a lack of insight or self awareness to burns that made me extremely uncomfortable, particularly in her interactions with some of her non white clients. i dont know, i felt really stupid and ashamed for having reached for this at all because there is simply nothing here. it feels like being caught eavesdropping on a conversation that wasnt even all that interesting. i am a nosy bitch, to be sure, but i hate that this book seems to have punished me for my nosiness.

[Sissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!


I found this author's writing not only highly entertaining but also really original! What a refreshing viewpoint of a powerful and independent woman who isn't afraid to be realistic about her sexuality. I'm really looking forward to reading more of this author's work!

[harsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mildly interesting and entertaining short read. Contains some depictions of sexual acts. Writing is bad - there is no greater story to be told. It's almost like random pages added together to make a book. Okayish one-time read.

[Valerie Lindemann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Explicit and did not enjoy the overuse of whore. Needed editing as well.

[Peanut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book at al

Dit not enjoy this book at a!l ,so stupid bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad bad

[Paul Pawlik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unclear and confusing, hard to follow narrative, but there were some interesting anecdotes.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice Intro

Writing is good. Would like to know more about Tara as a person . I would have identified even empathized more.

[Rebekah Weis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

Keeps you wanting more. It is a must read. Tara keeps you on the edge of your seat begging for more

[Robert Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whore Diaries: My First Two Weeks

I did not really enjoy reading this book, to me there wasn’t much substance to it. I found it hard to read.

[sammi_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be a bit more, but it was just description of some clients and the sexual acts performed. It doesn't really tell you much about the real world of prostitution or the narrator.

[MARK A · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pleasure meeting Tara Burns. One thing I like about humans is that they come in so many varieties. I enjoyed learning about her.

[Amanda Alexandre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sad erotica. Or not even an erotica at all: the sex scenes are so dry and the portrayal of prostitution so unglamourous (responsible, even), that I don't think it s even meant to be erotica a all.

But the biggest highlight is the undeniable, intermittent WTF moments in this novella.

Seriously, it doesn't stop.

At first it's a client that says “fucking money” and compares himself to god every 5 seconds (I almost stop reading at this point). We see some very witty one-liners by the narrator, until the narrator decides it's time to stop stripping and become a prostitute. And the stream of WTF-uckery begin.

“...I just felt tired. Couldn't men just agree to pay me without m having to prance around and stroke their egos first?”
I told you it was sad.

She lives with Dream, a disabled adoptive mother who can't walk by herself very well. It is to give a better support for her that she becomes a prostitute. She decides to prostitute herself in Canada, and comes this:

“I wrapped Dream in blankets and put her in my black plastic sled, and I pulled her out to the road, warmed the van up, and started the long drive south.”

Is that how you transport people in Alaska? By making a human burrito? On a sled?

“...just like I instructed in the etiquette section of my website”. Apparently, escorting sites have etiquette sections. (Boy, I'm curious).

“whore tour for a couple of weeks.” Are there whore tours?

“I rub his semen into my breast. This is the elixir of life.”

“I'm glad that I can get my noncommittal super casual yet meaningful intimacy by selling it instead of being someone with a penis who has to buy it.”

“Usually people are rapists because they don't want to admit the gaping hole of need inside them.”


And I finally learned to plural of penis:
“I need to fuck more old dudes to learn about their penii.”
(Note here that we're talking about a prostitute who's committed to performance improvement.)

And, to finish, my favorite:
“I'm supposed to lap the praise from his hands like a needy little puppy who hates herself the way women in patriarchy are supposed to.”

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this while driving for Thanksgiving holiday. It's very short, but to the point, no-nonsense experiences about a new escort. Pretty interesting.

[nks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I undertook my second e-book experiment when Tara Burns published Whore Diaries. (And I now think much more highly of e-books, tell you what.) I have loved reading her subscription blog for years—she is a great writer and she has a hell of a story to tell—and I can say the same of her first e-book. Her take on escorting is philosophical and unorthodox. The Tao of Tara. She begins with "Conversations With God in the Titty Bar," and ends far, far too soon. Write a longer book next time, huh Tara? Then again, business master mind that she is, she might just prepping readers for the longer book to come. I certainly hope so.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it perfectly written or flawlessly edited? No. But it’s raw, real, entertaining, and thought provoking. Reading her writing made me genuinely LIKE Tara Burns and each of the three Whore Diary installments just made me want to know more about her. I hope she writes more as she has a really original voice and an interesting story.

[Rupak Banerjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no clue why I read this. I got this as part of Kindle lending library. It is a very quick read with not much going on. Written in the form of diary / blog entries it does not have anything to look forward to in particular.

[richwire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reads like a rough draft. Mildly entertaining, and the author makes one or two keen observations. It's a little unfair to call this a "book" - at 40 pages it's more like a long magazine article.

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible amateur and ridiculously bad.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A glimpse into the criminal world of prostitution and one woman's story. Interesting but not well written or very in-depth analysis.

[Sara]

It was a really easy, quick read

[Nancy H · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting somewhat of a memoir, but this book just rambled with no plot and no transitions. It was like reading someone's random scribblings that were not linked at all.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a quick enjoyable read, but mostly just a rant

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Short. Not at all what I expected. She has a romantic way of writing and looking at the situation.