MONTREAL—ManyVids has announced a new interview, contest and video with bestselling memoirist and fiction writer Josh Sabarra, author of “Porn Again.”
Sabarra is a bestselling author, veteran marketing executive and television producer. He sat down and talked with the ManyVids Team about his books. Josh has a profile on MV with free vids about his work. Fans can win Josh's book by Retweeting ManyVid’s contest Tweet and tagging @MVBoysXXX for a chance to win.
The interview follows:
What inspired you to turn your life story into your memoir PORN AGAIN? And, can you sum up the book for readers who don’t know about it yet?
I struggled for decades to find myself and to be comfortable in my own skin. As I approached the beginning of the second half of my life, I thought that my stories might inspire people to step into themselves and entertain them at the same time.
During the writing process, I learned that I had been borrowing my sense of self for so long. I looked to food, plastic surgery, my career, my lovers, and my celebrity friendships to try to make myself appealing to other people. I still grapple with self-acceptance, but working on the book helped me begin to realize that I am enough on my own terms. I certainly don’t have it all figured out; those confidence-crushing moments still follow me. Like everyone, I am a work in progress.
Overall, I describe PORN AGAIN as a Hollywood thrill-ride through growing up, coming out, coming of age and finally finding myself in my forties (I invite everyone to take a look at the book trailer and clips on my ManyVids profile page and to visit my ManyVids shop for books and exclusive swag).
Why is PORN AGAIN such a hit with gay men and adult performers?
Interestingly, while the book has definitely struck a chord with the gay community, PORN AGAIN has generated a sizeable female readership, as well. The arc of the story really speaks to anyone who has felt like an outsider for any reason, be it because of weight, disabilities, you name it. What’s so relatable about the material, I believe, is that we’ve all been in a position to feel “less than” at some point, and my story offers a sensitivity and understanding to that universally human theme.
I am grateful for the letters and messages I receive each week from people who are able to see themselves and similarities to their own stories within the pages of PORN AGAIN.
What’s your relationship to porn, erotica, and adult entertainment? Has it assisted you on your life journey?
Adult entertainment figures so differently into individual lives. In my memoir, PORN AGAIN, I talk about being closeted – and a virgin! – until I was 31. That said, adult content fulfilled a general need and took the mystery out of the mechanics of sex. I felt more confident about my first sexual experience because of having seen a variety of vids, and I also had a better idea of what types of bedroom (or pool, or secluded woods, or airplane, or…) activities appealed to me. Naturally, once I put my porn education into practice, I was able to fine-tune my sexual repertoire and figure out that not every roll in the sheets had to be the wild Cirque du Soleil routine portrayed in the studio films I’d been watching.
Tell us about ENEMIES CLOSER! And, how much does it relate to your former day job and is there much from your personal experience in this fictional book?
ENEMIES CLOSER is a dishy Hollywood novel that just might (wink, wink) borrow some material from my former life as a movie studio marketing and public relations executive. The story centers around Marcee Brookes, a fortyish, mid-level publicist who gets unwittingly entangled in a group of Hollywood wives and celebrities. The drama hits a fever pitch when our heroine begins to discover that nearly everyone in Tinseltown has an ulterior motive–even when it comes to forming friendships.
I wanted to create a heroine who represents an everyday, American woman–someone who struggles with body image and self-worth in a genuine way. I felt that putting the main character into a Hollywood setting, one that I’d experienced myself, would provide readers with not only a gritty and very honest look behind the storied red carpet but also magnify the character’s nagging self-doubt. It’s easy to get beaten down in the entertainment industry; almost every area of the business has a way of making even its own feel not quite good enough. That’s dangerous territory when you’re someone who undervalues yourself – like Marcee – but still holds fast to your integrity and value system. At the same time, though, the book has a biting sense of humor that skewers the Hollywood machine as only an industry veteran can.
Have you written much fiction before, what made you take the plunge with ENEMIES CLOSER?
ENEMIES CLOSER is my debut novel. I felt that I’d already covered the non-fiction ground I had wanted to – for the time being – in PORN AGAIN and that it would be fun to weave my past life as a Hollywood player into an entertaining story. ENEMIES CLOSER pulls the curtain back on the industry farther than most books, giving readers not only a good time but a unique understanding of a world that tries to guard its secrets way too carefully.
Are you working on a new book, what can we expect to see from you next?
In addition to executive producing four movies for cable television this year, I’m also hard at work on my third book, a thriller. I’m having a blast tackling a new genre of fiction and can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Say something to your fans:
I am beyond thankful for my fans and to everyone who has read PORN AGAIN and ENEMIES CLOSER. Nothing makes me happier than connecting with people, and my books give me an opportunity to do that on a larger scale than I ever imagined. I love engaging with people and hope they’ll find me on Twitter (@JoshSabarra), Instagram (@joshsabarra), and Facebook (/JoshSabarraAuthor). Let’s get talking!
