The Erotic Imagination #2

I never set out to become an erotica writer. In fact, prior to being commissioned by former Random House editor Carol Taylor (whose Brown Sugar series should be a part of your naughty collection), I'd read very little of it. Yet, since my first erotic story "Movie Lover" was published in 2001, I found my new found genre to be both exciting and liberating.

Too much of an egotist to use a pseudonym, I had no problem with folks knowing about the textual freaks dwelling in my brain. Of course, sometimes the reaction of friends, family and strangers could be very funny. Especially, since a lot of non-writers seem to believe that everything is autobiographical and, "you couldn't possibility be making this stuff up."

However, whenever I sit down to write a new story--the latest finished piece being "Stiletto’s Big Score," about the comeback of retired blaxploitation icon Miki Jamison, which will be published next year--there are certain artists whose work I literally revisit or try to conjure in my head while working. Be it the graphic art of Vaughn Bode, Jeff Jones and Howard Chaykin, savoring passages of Georges Simenon's fiction or re-watching Kar Wai Wong's poetic BMW short film (commercial) The Follow, each has a rhythm and flow that has propelled me creatively. I'm also a major fan of Spike Lee's sexy surreal Girl 6 (yeah, I'm the one), but I'll like to write a full blog about that flick at a later date.

Inspired by the many "hook-ups" I've heard about happening on Facebook, my most recent published erotica story "Serious Moonlight," perhaps the shortest I've ever written (my late friend Jerry Rodriguez used to tell me I wrote the LONGEST short stories he ever read), was published earlier this year in Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel. As one of the most prolific and respected erotica editors in the business, it was an honor to be selected for Bussel's book. Any inspiring erotica writers should check out Bussel's website, where she regularly posts call for submissions.

In addition, my friend Fayemi Shakur is working on her latest project, an erotica journal called OPEN (of course, I'll be in the first issue) which I think will be an exciting venture for writers, photographers and artists. For more info, check out her Facebook page @: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47401062895#!/fayemishaku

Gotta Have It (Rachel Kramer Bussel website): http://rachelkramerbussel.com/writing/books/gottahaveit.php

Jeff Jones:
http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/2011/07/jones-touch-by-jeff-jones-swank.html

The Follow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNoYLm3a-nI

Howard Chaykin (Black Kiss):
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25425

Vaughn Bode:
http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/search/label/Jeffrey%20Jones

Georges Simenon: http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/three-bedrooms-in-manhattan