Bad Sex

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good Written by adrienne maree brownHow do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Author and editor adrienne maree brown finds the answer in something she calls “pleasure activism,” a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the dour myth that changing the world is just another form of work. Drawing on the black feminist tradition, she challenges us to rethink the ground rules of activism. Her mindset-altering essays are interwoven with conversations and insights from other feminist thinkers, including Audre Lorde, Joan Morgan, Cara Page, Sonya Renee Taylor, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. Together they cover a wide array of subjects—from sex work to climate change, from race and gender to sex and drugs—building new narratives about how politics can feel good and how what feels good always has a complex politics of its own.Building on the success of her popular Emergent Strategy, adrienne launches a new series of the same name with this volume, bringing readers books that explore experimental, expansive, and innovative ways to meet the challenges that face our world today. Books that find the opportunity in every crisis! 2019, 464 pages. 

Bad FeministWritten by Roxanne GayA collection of essays spanning politics, criticism, and feminism from one of the most-watched young cultural observers of her generation, Roxane Gay.“Pink is my favorite color. I used to say my favorite color was black to be cool, but it is pink—all shades of pink. If I have an accessory, it is probably pink. I read Vogue, and I’m not doing it ironically, though it might seem that way. I once live-tweeted the September issue.”In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman (Sweet Valley High) of color (The Help) while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years (Girls, Django in Chains) and commenting on the state of feminism today (abortion, Chris Brown). The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.Bad Feminist is a sharp, funny, and spot-on look at the ways in which the culture we consume becomes who we are, and an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better, coming from one of our most interesting and important cultural critics.

Bow DownLindsay GoldwertPopular podcast host and personal finance expert Lindsay Goldwert explores what professional Dominatrixes can teach us about confidence, power, and happiness.Imagine, for a moment, a world where the usual power dynamic is turned on its head. Where women not only stop apologizing but seize- and enjoy- control. This is the quickly mainstreaming world of BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism)- and it has a lot to teach women about empowerment, negotiation, open-mindedness, and more. Journalist Lindsay Goldwert, intrigued by the seismic cultural shift, traveled across the United States to meet the stars of the subculture, who spoke frankly with her about their lives and work.In this "lively, funny, thoughtful channeling of wisdom" (Sara Benincasa, author of Real Artists Have Day Jobs), these Alpha women show you how you can reset the power dynamic in any situation to get what you want- whether it's from a husband, a boss, or a partner. They share strategies for revolutionizing not only your sex life, but your career, your relationships, and most importantly, your inner foundations.With bondage gear popping up on the big screen, the runway, the red carpet, and in celebrity lingerie lines, BDSM is officially moving out of the dungeon and into the sun. Let Bow Down help you learn how to use it. "Whether your fantasies lie in the bedroom or the boardroom, Lindsay will give you the courage to go forth and dominate." (Sarah Cooper, author of How to Be Successful without Hurting Men's Feelings). 2020, 304 pages.

F*cked: Being Sexually Explorative & Self-Confident in a World That's ScrewedCorinne Fisher and Krystyna HutchinsonAre You a Dirty, Nasty Slut? Or a Sexually Repressed Nightmare?Regardless of your background or bedroom resume, someone or something has probably made you feel that way at some point. This was what Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson discovered when they created the wildly popular Guys We Fucked: The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast. What started as an outlet to interview—You guessed it!—guys they'd fucked, quickly evolved into an enormous community of Fuckers around the world, and a place to share stories of kinks gone wild, trauma, assault, and the overall confusion among people who don't know what the fuck they are doing (in other words, everyone).F*CKED brings these raw, ridiculous, and serious conversations from the podcast to the page. It is a guide to love and sex for anyone -- female, male, trans, or undecided—who is fed up with double standards and the stigma surrounding sexual beings. It is for anyone who has ever felt afraid to be their authentic self. Corinne and Krystyna won’t talk down to you or coddle you because you’re better than that. They won’t explain why he’s just not that into you, because it doesn’t fucking matter. This book will teach you how to deal with shit, brush your shoulder off, and move on. You'll also learn about:Why shame is completely made up and how we can stop giving into itSexual exploration and how it sometimes ends in a trip to the ERStuff we should stop doing: Snooping, nitpicking our bodies, and faking orgasmsAsking your sexual partner uncomfortable questionsMasturbation, threesomes, porn, sex toys, butt stuff, and much, much moreDespite what Rom-Coms and magazines tell you, you can handle sexual exploration without the assistance of a man, a glass of rose, and a Xanax. More importantly, you’re fine all by yourself. This is the book Bridget Jones should&rsquo

Vaginaby Naomi WolfOne of our bestselling and most respected cultural critics, Naomi Wolf, acclaimed author of The Beauty Myth and The End of America, brings us an astonishing work of cutting-edge science and cultural history that radically reframes how we understand the vagina-and, consequently, how we understand women. A "New Biography," Vagina is at once serious, provocative, and immensely entertaining-a radical and endlessly fascinating exploration of the gateway to female consciousness from a remarkable writer and thinker at the forefront of the new feminism. 416 pages, 2013

In what can only be described as an unconventional self-love story, author Inga Muscio chronicles the powerful history of the word Cunt, how it deviated from its original meaning and how it can and should be restored to its former glory. In this beautifully-composed narrative, the author offers keen insight into the social, political and cultural forces that negatively influenced her relationship with her body, and how she overcame them. Through humor, honesty and candor, the reader is taken through the author's eye-opening personal journey to self-empowerment, and unconditional love of herself. Expanded second edition features updated material, with a forward by Betty Dodson, Ph. D.2nd Edition.2002, 370 pages.trade paper.

The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, SwishWritten by Lil Miss Hot MessIllustrated by Olga de Dios RuizThe Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish encourages readers to boldly be exactly who they are. Written by a founding member of the nationally recognized Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH), this playful picture book offers a quirky twist on a classic nursery rhyme by illustrating all of the ways to "work it". The story plays off "The Wheels on the Bus" as it follows a drag queen who performs her routine in front of an awestruck audience. A fun frenzy of fierceness, this book will appeal to readers of all ages. 40 pages, 2020

Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual DesireJustin Lehmiller. PhDJustin J. Lehmiller, a leading expert on human sexuality and author of the popular blog Sex and Psychology, has made it his career's ambition to answer these questions.Based on his monumental two-year study of sexual fantasies involving more than 4,000 people from all walks of life, Tell Me What You Want offers an unprecedented look into our fantasy worlds and what they reveal about us. It will help you to understand your own sexual desires and how to attain them within your relationships, but also to appreciate why your partner may have sexual proclivities that are so different from your own.Appreciating the incredible diversity of human sexual desire and why this diversity exists in the first place can help you to overcome distress, anxiety, and shame about your own sexual fantasies; ultimately enhancing your sex life. Breaking down barriers to discussing sexual fantasies and allowing them to become a part of your sexual reality is the pathway to maintaining more satisfying relationships. 2018, 261 pages. 

AphrodisiacKimberly Gallagher, M.Ed.From the co-founder of one of the world's most respected herbal education websites: recipes, rituals, practices, and personal stories to help you live a more sexually fulfilled and vital life.Plants are the great healers of the earth, and their capacity to support healthy sexuality is just as powerful. This beautifully written and illustrated book brings you into a relationship with herbs for sexual fulfillment and empowerment.Drawing on her own knowledge of herbalism and sacred sensuality, along with intimate stories from students who implemented her teachings, Kimberly Gallagher guides you on a personal journey of growth aided by the aphrodisiac properties and sensual uses of healing herbs and flowers such as damiana, cacao, and rose. Kimberly is an author and co-founder of LearningHerbs, a widely respected herbal education website.In Aphrodisiac, you'll find thoughtful, soulful rituals and dozens of recipes for putting the herbs to use, such as Autumn Blush Cordial, Rose Massage Oil, and Cardamom Chocolate Mousse Torte. You'll read user-friendly and well-researched monographs that teach you everything you need to know about every featured herb. And you'll find a wide range of practices for inviting erotic energy flow into your life - including creating an inviting environment, nourishing your body, and simply slowing down so there's time to savor the pleasure.When people are sensually alive and sexually fulfilled, they are more confident, creative, and joyful. They are also more likely to share their unique personal gifts with the world.Aphrodisiac is an essential resource for anyone wishing to live a more vibrant life. 2021, 384 pages. 

The Feminist Activity Bookby Gemma CorrellLooking to smash the patriarchy and get your arts and crafts on?Want to have a laugh while taking down sexist stereotypes?Look no further than Gemma Correllâ's Feminist Activity Book, where your dress up doll can wear whatever she wants and the only thing limiting your sexuality is the size of your colored pencil collection. Welcome to the games, coloring projects, and crafts of your egalitarian dreams!The Feminist Activity Book has everything you need to usher in an era of colorful and intersectional joy. Featuring such activities as Feminist All-Star Trading Cards, Destroy the Page-Triarchy, Sexist Social Media Bingo, and A Feminist ABC, The Feminist Activity Book will fuel your feminist rage, remind you to laugh once in awhile, and bring you one step closer to an egalitarian utopia, or whatever.2016