Leather Views Column 28

Leather Views Column 28

Jul. 2nd, 2002 at 6:47 AM

This is a great column on the types of literature currently available in the lifestyle.

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for Issue number 28
Thursday, June 27, 2002

Leather Lit. 102
by Jack Rinella

New arrivals to our kinky culture will find a lot of books presenting and
detailing various aspects of BDSM. Some of these, especially those that
are fiction, are even published by the mainstream press. Daedalus
Publishing, Greenery Press, Cleis Press and Mystic Rose, to name the ones
that come to mind most quickly, are smaller presses that cater to our
"niche" needs.

Not only are there scores of books available, but they are easily
available and can be ordered at any bookstore. Those seeking greater
discretion can buy them on-line at www.kinkybooks.com , www.amazon.com , or
directly from the publishers' websites.

That the above is true is actually quite remarkable to an old guy like
myself. When I came out in Leather in 1983 or so(who's counting?) that
wasn't the case. Let's see. I could buy Drummer Magazine, Urban
Aboriginals, The Leatherman's Handbook, and soon after that Mr. Benson. If
there were other books, you couldn't have proved it by me.

Well others do come to mind now but they were really very hard to find and
I only learned about them long after I had entered the scene.

In August of 1992 I wrote a column called Leather Lit. 101 which was a
guide to what I knew was available then. You can see it at
. My how things have changed.

Here, then, are some of the newer books you ought to know about. I have to
give the usual disclaimer, though, that my slave Patrick owns an on-line
bookstore and he wrote and/or assembled most of these descriptions, but
isn't that what slaves are for?

A fine compliment to my newest book is SlaveCraft, Roadmaps for Erotic
Servitude. Guy Baldwin, author of Ties That Bind, joins forces with "a
grateful slave" to produce this gripping and personal account on the
subject of consensual slavery. Philosophical and intense, SlaveCraft dares
to delve beneath the surface of D/s relationships and gives us an intimate
and revealing view from a rare perspective- that of a slave. The authors
examine the psychology and spirituality behind the Master/slave dynamic.


In Carried Away, An S/M Romance by David Stein, steamy leathersex is only
the beginning when a cocky, jaded bottom and a once-burned master come
together for some no-strings bondage and s/m. Once the scene is over, a
deeper hunger unexpectedly awakens, and they begin playing for much higher
stakes. "If anyone is qualified to write hot and realistic man-to-man s/m
fiction, it
would be David Stein, whose lifelong activism within the leather community
has bolstered the growth of a whole new world of erotic opportunities. The
bondage sex in this book is depicted with great accuracy and feeling, and
the
characters are well-developed and true to life, making it easy to identify
with them," writes author and columnist Patrick Califia.

Don Bastian, a respected member of the leather community for over a
decade, brings his experiences to print with Chainmale 3SM. This
fast-paced account of one man's experience with his own sexuality, and
eventual involvement in a loving and successful three-way kink
relationship, is uninhibited and honest. Flowing craftily between coming
of age memories, thoughts and philosophies, and personal scene-related
experiences. Bastian's autobiographical tale of how his 3SM family came to
be is engaging and intelligent.

Since the early '90s, SM 101, A Realistic Introduction by Jay Wiseman has
taught the fundamentals of safe, exciting SM to tens of thousands of
people of all genders and orientations. This expanded Second Edition
includes many revisions and updates, including a brand-new chapter on
starting and running SM organizations and events.

If you can tie your shoelaces, you can create an erotic masterpiece! Jay
Wiseman's Erotic Bondage Handbook is a compendium of sensible, sensational
advice about how to tie up your sweetie, or get tied up yourself.
Everything from simple hands-behind-the-back experimentation to
immobilizing spread-eagles and hog-ties - all presented with Wiseman's
trademark humor and responsibility. Simple and easy-to-follow, with no
complex knots and plenty of illustrations to guide you on your way to
bound bliss.

John Warren, known as "Mentor" to the many who have read his books or
hearkened to his advice at his workshops and gatherings, brought his
decades of BDSM experience to this comprehensive manual The Loving
Dominant. From its advice on "Stalking the Wild Submissive" to its
extensive Resource Guide, "The Loving Dominant" offers the greatest
breadth of subject of any basic BDSM guide available today -- including
some basic toy making patterns and an entire chapter on BDSM photography!

I especially enjoyed The Ethical Slut, A Guide to infinite sexual
possibilities by Dossie Easton & Catherine A. Liszt, but then I admit to
being a slut. Beyond the often unrealistic ideal of lifetime monogamy lies
an uncharted jungle of delightful options - everything from committed
multi-partner relationships to friendly sex, casual sex, group sex and
more. In this groundbreaking volume, Bottoming Book and Topping Book
authors Easton and Liszt provide a road map for exploring this sometimes
difficult, often rewarding territory. Warm, informative details about how
to get your needs met, manage your jealousy, make agreements that work for
all concerned, talk to your friends and relatives, and build a life full
of all the sex and love you want.

For all those who are interested in a real Old Guard biography, To Love,
To Obey, To Serve, Diary of An Old Guard Slave, by Vi Johnson is the
perfect book. Within these pages are the real life experiences of an
extraordinary woman as recorded in her journal. Vi Johnson is one of the
most loved and respected women in the leather community. She entered the
Leather s/m scene in the 1970's, as a slave. A slave's duty was to Love,
Honor, Please, and OBEY, sometimes blindly, often at great personal cost.
To own or live the life of a full time slave is, and has been, the stuff
of s/m fantasies and erotic stories. The life recorded here reveals that
realities, which are quite different from the fantasies. Most of all this
is the journey of a woman following her dream.

Other books tell you where to place the ropes, where to buy a whip, how to
put on a clamp. Here is the book that tells you why! The New Bottoming
Book, How to Get Terrible Things Done To You By Wonderful People by Dossie
Easton & Janet W. Hardy is a groundbreaking book that take a realistic
look at what motivates tops and bottoms - what turns us on, what gets us
off. Laced with funny, exciting personal anecdotes, they examine the joys
and frustrations of being a bottom - physically, emotionally and
spiritually - and give you lots of realistic ideas about how to get more
of what you want. Perfect for tops and bottoms of any gender or
orientation. Cleis Press's "Ultimate Guides" ("to Anal Sex for Women", to
"Anal Sex for Men", "to Strap on Sex", as well as "to Cunnilingus"...
there`s even one for Lesbian pregnancy!) give great tips on how to give
pleasure.

Have a great week. You can leave me email at mrjackr@leathermail.com or
visit my website at ". Copyright 2002 by Jack
Rinella, all rights reserved.


* * * * * *

This weekly column is supported in part by the sale of books at
kinkybooks.com. Surf on over. With over 250 titles from which to choose,
something will fit your fancy. I'd especially recommend Guy Baldwin's new
book "SlaveCraft" and David Stein's new novel, "Carried Away."
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