I was excited to read this book as I’m not unfamiliar with the work of the editor of these tales of sex, Jon Pressick. I love Jon’s work and I had high hopes as I settled down to read this collection one stormy New England weekend.
I wasn’t disappointed and quickly became engrossed in the words that leapt off the page and into my head. I love books that make me think, that challenge the way I think about something that I think I may know something about and this collection certainly did that and a whole lot more.
There was however one short piece that made my heart skip a little and that words have haunted me for the last couple of weeks, and that to me is a powerful piece of writing. The piece I’m referring to is penned by Joan Price, who if you are unfamiliar with her work, is the champion of elder sex, and I mean that quite literally. This piece was not really about sex per say though, it was about the connections we make with the people we love. The piece is simply entitled: Sharing Body Heat. The words on the page took me on an emotional journey and one that I won’t soon forget. It’s only three and a half pages long, but it’s hauntingly brilliant in it’s execution. It details the last moments that Joan spent with her Husband after he passed away. Even writing this review, thinking about this piece makes me heartache a little and goosebumps appear on arms. To say this was an intimate piece, seems to me, to be an understatement.
Of course there is much more to this book than one persons story, I just felt compelled to write about something that had such a profound effect on me as the reader. This book is as diverse and the writing as unique as editor, Jon Pressick, is as a person, and will take you though the wonderful and often confusing world that makes up what we call human sexuality.
There is no stone that goes unturned, no subject to radical or diverse that can’t and basically isn’t covered in the 214 pages that make up this book. Subjects such as the fisting, what should we call sex toys, and disability and sex are just a few of the topics that are covered.
Just be warned that this is a book that will likely make you throw everything you think you know about sex and chuck it out the window. It’s thought provoking and in some cases an emotional read and I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
You can purchase your own copy from Cleis Press HERE or from Amazon by clicking HERE.
You could also win your own copy of Best Sex Writing by completing the simple tasks in this giveaway which is open internationally.
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