"Love and Pain" - Sex Worker Literati February 4, 2010

Hosted by Audacia Ray and David Henry Sterry

Happy Ending, 302 Broome Street between Forsyth and Eldridge, in New York City

Thursday, February 4. Doors at 7 pm, reading from 8-10

Stick around after the reading to dance and party with hos, hookers, and ne’er do wells!

21 and up – FREE

15% of the bar goes to support the Sylvia Rivera Law Project

Our performers this month:

Tyler Knight writes short stories and poetry largely rooted in the worlds of adult film, corporate finance and the Fellini-esque characters that occupy them. He’s recently completed an autobiographical short story collection, and a semi-biographical novel.
Since he began writing in 2009, his short stories have been published in several literary magazines including Thieves Jargon, Sex and Murder, and Thirst For Fire. In January 2010, London based publisher Ronin Press published his first chapbook. Tyler also writes a monthly column for For The Girls magazine.
He lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend, parrot and turtles.

Mistress Astrid has been a professional dominatrix and lifestyle player for four years. She is also a proud member of the Leather Family of La Domaine Esemar, the oldest s&m training studio in the country. She has written for $pread Magazine as well the The Indypendent. She has worked as an event emcee, a fetish performer, a nude model and a BDSM educator. She is currently working on her Masters with a focus in Human Sexuality. She hopes to one day complete a dissertation on the female professional dominatrix, as it relates to women’s historical narratives.

Reverend Jen is a performer, painter, playwright, columnist, Troll Museum Curator, underground movie star, open mike host, ASS Magazine founder and elf. She is a columnist for www.artnet.com and a former sex columnist for http://www.nerve.com. Her books include Live Nude Elf: the Sexperiments of Reverend Jen, Sex Symbol for the Insane, Reverend Jen’s Really Cool Neighborhood and a number of handmade books that can be found in collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the MoMA Library and the Warhol Museum.

Alex Kinney is an old whore who has prostituted himself in the Ivy League, America’s regional theaters, in the Golden Hills of Hollywood, one cold Christmas in Dublin, and more lengthily, the South of the Slot in San Francisco. Yes, Virginia, there really was a Golden Age of sexuality in San Francisco, and some of us were even getting paid for it. Actually, a LOT of us were getting paid for it, right, David?? The stuff you get me into, jeez…. Alex’s most recent play, Holy Hell, was developed at The Actors Studio.

Nica Noelle is an adult film actress, writer and director. She conceptualized and created Sweetheart Video and Sweet Sinner Films with Jon Blitt of Mile High Media, and was recently hailed by Nightline ABC as the top female adult film director. Nica has been a published writer for many years, and her work has appeared in numerous national magazines and websites. Aside from her continuing work in adult films, Nica is also an avid science and nature writer, and she is currently writing a book about urban wildlife and the relationship between humans and backyard animals.

15% of the bar tab goes to support the Sylvia Rivera Law Project.
The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence. SRLP is a collective organization founded on the understanding that gender self-determination is inextricably intertwined with racial, social and economic justice. Therefore, we seek to increase the political voice and visibility of low-income people and people of color who are transgender, intersex, or gender non-conforming. SRLP works to improve access to respectful and affirming social, health, and legal services for our communities. We believe that in order to create meaningful political participation and leadership, we must have access to basic means of survival and safety from violence.