Susie Bright's Sexwise: America's Favorite X-Rated Intellectual Does Dan Quayle, Catharine MacKinnon, Stephen King, Camille Paglia, Nicholson Baker, Madonna, and the Black Panthers

by Susie Bright

The X-rated intellectual and author of Susie Bright's Sexual Reality takes on Dan Quayle, Madonna, and the GOP in a collection of previously published essays, interviews, and reviews that also includes new writing by the sexpert.

Genres: Sexuality, Nonfiction, Feminism, Essays, Queer, Erotica, LGBT

130 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 1995

About the author

Susannah "Susie" Bright (also known as Susie Sexpert) is a writer, speaker, teacher, audio-show host, performer, all on the subject of sexuality. She is one of the first writers/activists referred to as a sex-positive feminist.

Reviews

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A recounting of the 1990s from a pro-sexual feminist perspective made me realize, among other things that little has changed from Dan Quayle to Sarah Palin. The book also contained great reviews and interviews of some of the books and authors that have influenced me over the years -- Camille Paglia, Nicholson Baker, Erica Jong and of course, Susie Bright.

Read also on 4/10/05

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Susie Bright read, and I was wonderstruck! Of particular interest to me were her investigations of Nicholson Baker and Camille Paglia. Bright has named herself (among other things) a pornographer, and in wearing this mantle, she provides a criteria: are you willing to be defamed for your art? Regarding Baker and Paglia, the defamation is perhaps more scant than their reputations suggest. The checks are still clearing, baby, and that Random House money hits different.

So, in this way, Bright has endeared me to her rough and tumble pornographer's persona. I haven't decided if I'll take a swim in the warm waters of her pornography, but should another essay collection of hers come (hehe) my way, I won't be dismissive.

[Joel Glick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit dated but entertaining

Politics, pornography, literature and feminism in the 90’s. If these topics are of little interest to you, Bright’s writing and interviewing style might still keep you entertained.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had discovered Susie Bright earlier, it would have saved me about 5 years of figuring out sex positivity on my own! This is a book of essays that almost read like a series of blog posts (but written in a pre-blog era).

There are some gems in this book - I especially enjoyed the interview with Elaine Brown (the only woman leader of the Black Panther Party in the '70s), her essays on Camille Paglia and Catherine MacKinnon, and her interview with artsy pornographer Andrew Blake ("So why don't you show women coming?" Amazing!). I took her fantasy interlude about Dan Quayle as an inspiring instruction on how to turn political frustration and anger into a more positive emotion. Bright writes with an educated earthiness, she is well read but also has roots in the working class; she is comfortable interviewing and analyzing academics and grass roots activists alike. She writes with wit and humor, and you can tell she relishes cutting through other people's bullshit. The essay topics are wide ranging and interesting, although many are now dated.

My only complaint? The book is self-published and distractingly, terribly edited.

[Joe Vess · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting for me to read a book by a pornographer, even a woman pornographer. Like many men who do the kind of work I do, I have many, many issues with porn. I think Bright makes many valid points though, and for me it comes down to the difference between being sex-positive and sex-negative. I definitely support the former; and while I think the book is a little too cheerleadery about porn in parts, I think the legit points he make far outweigh that. The interviews are fascinating, especially with Elaine Brown (of course), and the Dan Quayle chapter is hilarious. It's a great, interesting perspective from someone who's clearly thought a lot about these topics.

[Yacleme]

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[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a bit dated now. Really, is anyone thinking about Dan Quayle or Catharine Mackinnon these days? However, the essays are worth a read for their value as history.

Have I mentioned that Susie Bright ROCKS!?

[Rev. J. Arthur Rank · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of essays.

[Mark]

Read: 16-19 Aug 2009. Saw this on the quick sort shelf waiting to be reshelved. What can I say? A large font Sexwise down the spine caught my eye.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

tag glued to inside front cover.