Feminist Erotica (Karen Hawkins)

In our season one finale, we recap what we've learned about what makes different types of erotic stories feminist and what erotica is. We share audience feedback from a survey, as well as part of a live conversation we hosted with other erotic storytellers. 

You asked for them, and today our episode features Sinclair Sexsmith! Jera, Princess and Karen hosted the butch erotica writer on a lively Facebook Live where they talked about writing to be a better dom and how Sinclair's writing has transformed their idea of consent. Plus, we announce our next pick for Lit Lap, our bi-monthly book club! Be sure to stay tuned: there's much more of Sinclair coming (heh) in later episodes.

For even more Sinclair, check out their website sugarbutch.net and follow them on Twitter at @MrSexsmith (help them hit 10k followers!). Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. 

We're back. . . sorta! Karen and Princess had a lovely conversation with writer extraordinaire Fiona Zedde, well, Princess talked and Karen fangirled. Since we chose the graphic novel version of Fiona's The Power of Mercy, we talk thru the many versions everyone ACTUALLY read, how Fiona dreamed up Mercy and who inspires Fiona to keep writing. Part two of this delightful convo is coming soon! Be sure to follow us on Instagram to find out what's new.

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

We’re jumping into season three with our favorite unofficial official cohost Rachel Kramer Bussel and three writers from the newest installment of Best Women’s Erotica, Volume 7! In this conversation Karen and I sit back and listen as Erin McLellan, Angelina M. Lopez and Adriana Herrera spill on how they incorporated the book’s theme into their stories and what makes Tulsa, OK sexy. Find and follow each of our guests on their websites and social media!

• Rachel Kramer Bussel - rachelkramerbussel.com; @raquelita on Twitter; @rachelkramerbussel on Instagram
• Angelina M. Lopez - angelinamlopez.com; @angelinamlo on Twitter and Instagram; @authorangelinamlopez on TikTok
• Erin McLellan - erinmclellan.com; @erinmclellanwrites on Instagram; @emclellanwrites on Twitter
• Adriana Herrera - adrianaherreraromance.com

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. 

Part 2 of our conversation with Fiona Zedde is Karen, Princess and the guest of honor having so much fun. Princess works her juju to convince Fiona to create another Mercy-centered graphic novel (shout out to Anne Shade), Karen fangirls just a liiiittle bit more and Fiona shares her latest business venture! (not really, please don't hit her up) What she does have is a new book! House of Agnes hit stores June 16!

We're still on hiatus, but we'll be live on Instagram this Tuesday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m. at @feministeroticapodcast.

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Can you believe it?! We've made two seasons! This episode we're sharing more from our Wreck Please: Evil Valentine's Day Special, with Jera's lesbian rom-com thoughts and characters Princess & Karen pretend are queer. Plus, those two pick what Jera will livetweet THIS SUNDAY March 14 over on Twitter. Mark your calendars! Thank you so much for all the support and be sure to RSVP for the next Lit Lap book club at the end of the month. We'll see you soon after we take a break <3

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

We chose Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Workers' Poetry for our November book club selection. Following the book club, Karen, Princess, and Jera interviewed two of the contributors: Juba Kalamka and Tracy Quan. Listen to this interview about the diverse representation of sex workers in poetry and Juba and Tracy's amazing histories of advocacy, performance, and more.

Karen, Princess, and Jera discuss the origins of this podcast, our backgrounds as authors and readers of erotic literature, and what we think makes different erotica worthy of the term feminist. This question: "What is feminist erotica" is the theme of season one.

Hungering for new erotic reads to indulge in?  Then our quickies are for you! In each quickie, you'll hear a selection from a short story, novel, or other sexy text, just enough to whet your appetite. And we'll tell you where to go to read more. In this quickie, we feature "Flying Solo" about a hot travel-based hookup that happens within the parameters of an open-marriage.

Writer and editor Jayne Renault is the "Smut Queen" behind Bellesa.co's curated erotica library. Lauren Emily's work can be found on Bellesa and elsewhere. Jera spoke to Jayne and Lauren about how erotica gives readers and writers alike permission to explore new things and identify with new aspects of yourself.  All three also related to becoming more authentic versions of themselves through pen names and online personas. Check out Jayne and Lauren's queer, sexy stories at Bellesa.co — a feminist adult platform.

Meg Weber recently released her first memoir: A Year of Mr. Lucky about a year-long D/s relationship. Melissa Febos called it "a portrait of longing so vivid and agonizing that I could not turn away." Jera spoke to her about the writing and publishing process. Meg is also a mom and a therapist, and you'll hear about publishing an explicit memoir while protecting her family and her practice.

Katrina Jackson writes the types of stories that she would want to read, you know, with fat black girls and masturbation scenes. Karen and Princess talked to her about writing journey from fan fiction to published author with a bookshelf of titles. We also commiserated on pushing for diversity as a black queer woman and by the end, we became best friends. Check Katrina out on Twitter at @katrinajax and pre-order Bright Lights on Amazon!

We're back with more goodness from the folks involved with Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year Volume 5. In this episode, you'll hear highlights from our conversation with some of the contributors and editor of the anthology. We cover whether kink is the norm in queer and lesbian relationships, why lesbian erotica matters, and whether erotica equals sex or something greater.

- Rain Degrey, a writer, advice columnist, podcaster and educator whose work has taken her from Kink.com to Harvard University.

- Mary P. Burns whose first novel, Forging a Desire Line, was published by Bold Strokes Books in May 2020.

- June Amelia Rose, an anarchist leatherdyke fiction writer and submissive transsexual femme living in Brooklyn.

- Sinclair Sexsmith, “the best-known butch erotica writer whose kinky, groundbreaking stories have turned on countless queer women” according to AfterEllen.com.

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Hungering for new erotic reads to indulge in?  Then our quickies are for you! In each quickie, you'll hear a selection from a short story, novel, or other sexy text, just enough to whet your appetite. And we'll tell you where to go to read more. In this quickie, we feature an excerpt from the first season of ConsensualPod — a steamy fictional romance podcast for riot grrrls. 

Rachel Kramer Bussel is the editor of the Best Women's Erotica series among other anthologies. She also writes erotica herself! Karen and Jera spoke to Rachel about how she chooses stories that fit her own feminist values and how erotica can help readers and writers alike explore their desires in empowering ways.

We read the book Femme Tales — a reworking of three classic fairy tales featuring Black same sex couples — for our first Feminist Erotica book club. Following the discussion, we interviewed the author, Anne Shade about her book. We dug into why the positive representation of masculine queer folks and Black queer love is so important. We also talked about representing butch/femme couplings in non-stereotypical ways, chosen family, lesbian friendships, and more. This episode was recorded during a live stream on Facebook.

This episode may get a little bloody, 'cause we're talking vampires with Raven Belasco! After Raven joined us for the Halloween episode, we knew we'd have to bring her back. Princess and Karen got date ready to ask hard-hitting questions like, what does vampire self-care look like? There was so much goodness in this convo that we couldn't fit it all in. Raven Belasco is the author of the Blood & Ancient Scrolls Series (be sure to check out Blood Ex Libris and Blood Sine Qua Non!), and if you want to hear Raven ready a sexy scene, hop over and listen to the Halloween Happy Hour!

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Resolutions, but make 'em sexy! The Feminist Erotica crew are talking through some sexy resolutions for 2021 - Princess hopes to get her sexy back, Jera wants to take time for more queer pizza, and Karen gets affirmed that reading more smut is a very valid goal (it brought us all together, didn't it?). Plus shady appearances by Hyacinth the Cat and Winnie the Giant Husky. Don't forget to join us for our January Lit Lap and our Evil Valentine's Day special, Wreck, Please!

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with your sexy resolutions at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Hear excerpts from three stories found in the Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, as well as a bonus excerpt from the anthology editor, Sinclair Sexsmith.

You'll hear from:

- Rain Degrey, a writer, advice columnist, podcaster and educator whose work has taken her from Kink.com to Harvard University.

- Mary P. Burns whose first novel, Forging a Desire Line, was published by Bold Strokes Books in May 2020.

- June Amelia Rose, an anarchist leatherdyke fiction writer and submissive transsexual femme living in Brooklyn.

- Sinclair Sexsmith, “the best-known butch erotica writer whose kinky, groundbreaking stories have turned on countless queer women” according to AfterEllen.com.

Stay tuned next Friday for highlights from our interview with these writers.

Well hello! One year ago today the Feminist Erotica Podcast was born! For this mini-teaser episode, Karen and Princess welcome Alexandra, the resident Voiceover Goddess, in to talk about our favorite episodes from season one and two. We're also spilling the beans on what's in store for the podcast in the future, and we're really excited to share!

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

A. Andrews is a disabled cartoonist from Minneapolis, Minnesota and the creator of A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability from Limerence Press. Join A. and Princess as they talk about their process in creating the guide, removing the stigma for disabled people to talk about their bodies and the larger movement for disability justice.

Resources in this episode: A. Andrews’ new graphic novel A Quick & Easy Guide to Sex & Disability from Limerence Press; Princess’ review of the guide over at Rebellious Magazine for Women; other must-have books like Disability Visibility: First Person Stories From the 21st Century Edited by Alice Wong; and Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha.

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. Wanna join our book club Lit Lap? Read our January pick with us here. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Karen and Jera talk about the books they've been reading and their various relationships with violence, romance, and sex: a thriller series featuring a polyamorous triad, paranormal romance novels with wolf shifters and vampires, memoirs with BDSM ... it's so common to pair sex and violence. Do we just accept it? Embrace it? Listen in and share your thoughts!

Books mentioned include:

• Pink Slip by Katrina Jackson
• Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder
• Blow Your House Down by Gina Frangello
• Blood Ex Libris by Raven Belasco

Jera reviews The Pearl by Tiffany Reisz and offers thoughts on the conundrum of pleasure reads that challenge our values. Trigger warning: Discussion of coercive sex. This review can be found in written form here: https://rebelliousmagazine.com/pleasure-reads-that-challenge-our-values/

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

It's our Valentine's episode, but you could also call it Two Angry Black Lesbians. Listen as Karen remembers a slew of queer 90s films and Princess tries to recommend her canon of good lesbian rom-coms, but not many pass the McDowell test. 

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Santa left a special gift for you under the Christmas tree - a sexy snippet read by Sinclair Sexsmith! Listen as Sinclair reads from their story, 'Whatever I Want, Whatever I Say.' This story is also printed in Best Lesbian Erotica Vol. 5, out now! Be sure to check out Sinclair's website, sugarbutch.net. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Feminist Erotica!

Follow Feminist Erotica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and email us with questions/comments/concerns at feministerotica@rebelliousmagazine.com. This episode is sponsored by Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast.

Listen to writers read from their short stories found in the new anthology, Best Women's Erotica of the Year Volume 6, and get their takes on how erotica can be a part of one's self-care practices.

Allison Grischow is a queer actor based in Chicago and vocal talent with ConsensualPod, a steamy fiction romance podcast for riot grills. Jera spoke to Allison about performing erotica and how it relates to the performance aspects of sex and sexuality. As an artist, how do you choose projects that represent what you want to put out there in the world? And how do you know what you desire with conflicting messages about what you should desire? That and more in this episode. 

Suleikha Snyder likes to throw a bunch of genres in a blender and see what happens. Jera and Princess talked to her about her erotic romance short stories, novellas, and full-length novels, including her upcoming paranormal romance series. We also talked about her role as a diversity advocate and the South Asian romance writers community on Twitter, what happy endings have to do with feminism, and more. Learn more at suleikhasnyder.com.

Amanda Diehl is one of the resident reviewer at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. She runs a romance book club at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and hosts other events for Belmont Books in Belmont, Massachusetts. Jera spoke to Amanda about how being an avid romance reader has helped her discover her interests, find her voice, and build confidence in and out of the bedroom. We also spoke about the internalized misogyny in the romance genre and how to read in a critical way. All this and more in our first episode of the second season!

If you missed our live streamed Halloween Happy Hour, listen in for live readings from authors A.M. Proctor, Raven Belasco, and comedian and writer David Britton. We've got submissive sex demons, vampires, and kinky gay wizards. You'll also hear all about our spookiest crushes, the origins to some of our darkest kinks. Enjoy this episode? Please consider leaving us a review!