No question about it, porn is under siege these days. From the UK's new ban on "extreme" content to Washington state's recent attempt at a porn tax, pleasure seems to be under the gun.
But there is hope. Enter Susie Bright, who's been firmly entrenched on the pro-pleasure side for decades, most recently as evidenced by her latest anthology, X: The Erotic Treasury. My favorite story in the book is "Comeback" by Nicholas Kaufmann, about a washed-up porn star, barely enduring the indignities of being an X-rated has-been who gets a supernatural second chance.
"It's hard being a former starlet who's crossed to the other side of 40," the character complains. "Everyone thinks you're too ancient to be in their movies anymore, or you're only good for the granny-porn sites, so I'd been doing mostly dub work on Japanese anime, the ones where girls get fucked by demons or whatever. The money's all right, but the job's kind of limiting."
I had a few questions for Susie:
Q: While reading those erotic manuscripts, do you become aroused?
A: If it's well written in any genre, I become "aroused" in the same way that great horror scares the piss out of you, or great tragedy makes you weep. Erotic writing can cover any territory, too - I've read stories that were sexy, frightening, and bittersweet all at the same time. Great writing makes you feel things ... that's the point. On that note, poor writing leaves me cold, like it does everyone else. It doesn't matter how many four-letter words or nekkid body parts they employ.
Q: Do you ever act upon that kind of editorial arousal?
A: Do you mean, have I ever put a story down to masturbate, it was such a catalyst? Sure. Sometimes it's more of a slow burn ... like a story I daydream about afterward. Most of the time, though, I'm in my "editor head," and if it's good, I can't wait to get a hold of the writer and find out how I can license it.
Q: In selecting which manuscripts will be included, is there any correlation between those that arouse you and their inclusion?
A: Sometimes. I recognize the quality of a great story even if it's not my kink. And some stories have a universal appeal. People are always telling me they loved my sex scene writing in the movie Bound, and they often act surprised, saying, "And I'm not a lesbian!" or "I'm a gay man!" But you know, hot is hot, on a certain spectacular level. On the other hand, sometimes I'll read a story that gets me by the short and curlies, but I'll know that it's only because it plays upon my particular sexual nostalgia, and it's not good enough, writing-wise, to make the grade to a bigger audience. It's kind of like getting a sexy letter from your lover ... you adore it, no matter whether they can write well or not. Doesn't mean you should publish it!
Q: What's been the response to your book?
A: It has only garnered lots of affection and ooohs and ahhhs so far, which is re-assuring, but not a great news story. I think the funniest stuff has happened in response to the book trailer I made for YouTube (Tinyurl.com/Susie-trailer). Everyone wants to know about my teddy bear, and I didn't even realize he was in the shot. Or they are fascinated with my Hula-Hoop moves, when I am a total novice. I hate to disappoint them; I wish I was a red-hot Hooper with lots of tricks up my sleeve.
Q: One final question: What distinction would you make between erotica and porn?
A: Marketing and politics.
This article originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of AVN Online. To subscribe, visit AVNMediaNetwork.com/subscribe
