Courtesan: Luxuriant Woman

***This Blog Has Moved...

2010-08-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Due to many commitments, I am unable to keep up with this blog; as a result, I have transferred most of my postings to my blog on Tumblr, called Silky Trollop. Here is the link:

Silky Trollop

(http://silkytrollop.tumblr.com/)

It's very pretty as well as very sexy.

erotica

2010-08-10T00:55:00.000-07:00

Paris By Night: 1930s Paris - Prostitution

2010-08-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

The photographs of Paris by Brassaï are beautiful and deeply expressive. Brassaï was a Hungarian photographer and artist who rose to fame in Paris during the 1930s. His book "Paris de Nuit" ("Paris By Night"), published in 1933, is a fasinating pictorial essay - from the elegance of the opera to the gritty world of prostitution. From high society to hookers and hoodlums, his photographs capture the essence of Paris nightlife in the 1930s.

decadence

2010-08-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

Traci Lords - "Fallen Angel"

2010-08-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

I came across this lovely music video of Traci Lords; the song, "Fallen Angel", is a beautiful and hypnotic selection of trance music. A former adult film star who has successfully navigated to mainstream artistry, Ms. Lords has overcome a difficult and troubled past and is now a successful businesswoman.

Link:

Traci Lords

Some good news regarding prostitution...

2010-07-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

Regarding prostitution in Massachusetts: some good news - a proposal designed to stiffen the punishment for prostitution and solicitation of a prostitute in Springfield has overwhelmingly failed 12 to 1:

"...On Monday, City Councilor Jimmy Ferrera proposed that the city move to a one year mandatory sentence for prostitutes and those who solicit them if caught.

The measure failed 12-1.

Right now, most who face prostitution or solicitation charges pay only a $500 dollar fine and serve no jail time.

After a sting on Friday, the police department made 4 arrests within just a few hours.

Margaret Pilon lives in Springfield and wasn’t big on the idea of the one-year mandatory sentence, either.

She said, “I really don't believe in mandatory sentences, but I believe that if the prostitute is punished, so too should the john, it should be both.”

A group of protestors showed up at the City Council meeting to oppose the mandatory sentence.

Ellen Graves is with "Arise for Social Justice". She thinks prostitution should be legal. She told 22News, “Going after prostitution is going after people who are poor and also usually drug users. There should be rehab centers, there should be training centers where they could learn a skill. The money they're spending on putting people in jail is huge.”

Ferrera says the measure is dead, and will most likely not be brought up again."

While this is not the most progressive news - since I believe adult prostitution should be totally legalised - this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Children Of The Night

2010-07-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Today, it has become all too common for sex workers' rights advocates to wax poetic about the so-called "glamour" of prostitution and to make wild, unsubstantiated claims that all prostitutes are just so happy to be on the game. Some of these pro-sex worker activists are in total denial about the dark side of prostitution: parental abuse and juvenile runaways.

Let's clear this up: Prostitutes - myself included - do not have 'power' over clients and/or money. That's simply a romanticised myth, and in any case, that's not what we're looking for. Most women who are prostitutes - again, myself included - had been abused as children, oftentimes sexually abused. In fact, the dysfunctional family has oftentimes been referred to as the 'training ground' or 'boot camp' for a life in prostitution. While it's true that not all little girls who have been victims of incest grow up to become hookers, most women who are prostitutes had been victims of sexual molestation when they were young children. (And yes, this applies to me.) Little girls who have been molested learn to develop the mentality of quid pro quo: the human body and sexual activity are bartering tools for services rendered.

In Los Angeles, there is an excellent outreach organisation which rescues underage runaways from the streets and prostitution: Children Of The Night. Founded in 1979 by Dr. Lois Lee, Children Of The Night is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organisation dedicated to assisting children between the ages of 11 and 17 who are forced to work as prostitutes on the streets for food and a place to sleep. All of their programs are provided with the support of private donations.

children of the night

Red Light District Of Amsterdam

2010-07-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

Recently, there has been a lot of gentrification in Amsterdam's red light district; within the past two years, in an effort to combat organised crime, Amsterdam's city council voted to halve the number of brothels and marijuana shops in the city's red light district and surrounding areas; many of the brothels have been converted into artists' studios. "Money laundering, extortion, and human trafficking are things you do not see on the surface, but they are hurting people and the city. We want to fight this," said the mayor. "We can still have sex and drugs, but in a way that shows the city is in control."

As of January 2010, a proposal has been launched to raise the minimum age of prostitutes from 18 to 23 and to close down the red light district in the Wallen area between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m. One of the aims is to strengthen the position of the women who work in the sex industry. To quote one of the city's councilors: "We recently saw the escape of a people trafficker who used extreme violence to pressure very young girls who were far from home into prostitution in the Wallen area."

Additionally, the international recession has hit Amsterdam's red light district: "Some days, there are just no people,", according to one brothel owner.

My opinion: While I do understand the concern of Amsterdam's authorities regarding organised crime and violence towards the city's prostitutes, I fully support the continuation of the brothels; after all, we prostitutes should have the right to work when and where we choose.

Prostitutes In Film

2010-06-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Many films depict prostitutes in many different ways, from the fairy-tale fantasy of "Pretty Woman" to the gritty, harsh reality of "Mona Lisa". (Personally, I thought "Pretty Woman" was pretty silly; "Mona Lisa", on the other hand, was brilliant.)

"Klute" (1971) and "London to Brighton" (2006) are two very powerful films dealing with prostitution.

"Klute" stars Jane Fonda as call girl Bree Daniels, who helps detective John Klute solve a missing persons case. Bree seems to have a carefree lifestyle - lots of cash and independence - yet she is vulnerable and filled with self-doubt; this is depicted in a very moving scene with her psychiatrist.

From call girls to the gritty streets:

"London to Brighton" is a crime drama focusing on the disturbing world of child prostitution. Kelly is a world-weary London streetwalker forced by her violent pimp, Derek, to recruit an 11 year-old runaway girl named Joanne as a prostitute for a mobster client who is a pedophile. Kelly and Joanne escape on a train to Brighton; the perverted mobster orders Derek to bring back Kelly and the child.

Both "Klute" and "London To Brighton" reveal the harsh realities of prostitution in a powerful yet sensitive way. All too often, the mainstream media tend to depict prostitution as something glamourous; these two films scrub off the sugarcoating and show just what life on the game can mean if you don't keep your wits about you.

Satyr and Nymph

2010-06-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

In Greek mythology, satyrs are deities of the woods and mountains. They are half human and half beast; they usually have a goat's tail, flanks, and hooves. While the upper part of the body is that of a human, they also have the horns of a goat. They are the companions of Dionysus, the god of wine. The Italian version of the satyr (below) is the faun.

Noted for riotousness and lasciviousness, satrys are lovers of wine and women, and spend their days and nights pursuing nymphs, who are female deities associated with the erotic and life-giving aspects of nature.

In modern usage, satyr and nymph typically describe men and women who are sexually free-spirited and very erotic.

Pulp Art - Pulp Hookers

2010-06-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed vintage retro pulp art; I find it both fascinating and humourous. I recently discovered these examples of pulp art book covers from the 1940s and 1950s and get a kick out of their campiness as well as their lurid quality. I often wonder if readers all those decades ago actually took this material seriously!

How Can You Forget The First Trick You Ever Turned?

2010-06-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

For me, as with other ladies in the life of prostitution, there was a first time. For me, this is how it happened.

How can you forget the first trick you ever turned?

Standing on the streetcorner at a bustling intersection in Hollywood late one night, I wore a crimson-red blouse tucked into a sleek, slim pair of black jeans, which were in turn tucked into high-heeled black suede boots, my long hair tumbling past my shoulders.

An older-model Mercedes slowed and then stopped at the curb. The driver, a man in his mid-forties, neither handsome nor unattractive, waved me over. I peered into the passenger window. "You dating?" he asked. "Maybe," I replied. "How much can you spend?" "Well, I've got seventy-five bucks. How about half-and-half?" (street slang for fellatio followed by intercourse) I agreed to this and got in his car. He drove to a nearby motel. The room was small and a bit care-worn but clean. He handed me the cash and mentioned he had brought a condom to use. We then got undressed, and I serviced him per his request. Afterwards, he drove me back to the corner where he had picked me up, telling me to be careful (men are always telling me to be careful, probably because I'm petite and vulnerable-looking).

The incident was as quick and as perfunctory as I have described; it took place quickly, with no fuss and no emotion. Right then, I felt as if I had found my calling: what an easy way for a girl to make some fast money! And there was no sense of shame on my part - it all seemed so natural.

The second trick I turned occured about two weeks later, with someone younger, close to my own age. Again, I felt that sense of exhilaration of a job well-done. By the following month, I was doing this full-time.

As the months went on, I learned the game: how to sense which guys would be safe to go with, which ones seemed creepy, how to sense if the potential customer might actually be a police officer working undercover.

And I also learned that no matter how careful I was, there were dangerous situations I had to navigate. One night, I was robbed: the customer grabbed the money out of my purse (I since learned to secrete the cash in a safe place, usually inside my stockings or boots); when I reached for it, he forcefully grabbed my wrist and said, "Now wait a minute" in a harsh tone, with a cold, hard look in his eyes. I scrambled out of his car and ran. Another time, I had to jump out of a moving car; the customer had swerved onto a side street, away from the motel I had indicated. Fortunately, he was not driving very fast, so I sustained only minor scrapes and bruises.

There were other lessons I had to learn, including how to get along with the other girls on the street. I was working free-lance, which is not the usual way for ladies who are streetwalkers. I soon discovered the other working girls were pressured by their pimps to recruit for their "stables". Since I was not interested in working for a pimp, I learned to be friendly with other girls while keeping my distance.

So much to learn, to absorb: and it was tremendously exciting. However, not all of of my experiences as a streetwalker have been exciting - this includes the times I have been arrested (for "public nuisance" as well as prostitution); this is a situation which induces feelings of shock, fear, and humiliation. Since prostitution is illegal in the U.S. (except for certain designated counties in the state of Nevada), if you're going to work as a hooker, then you always have to be on your guard in case of arrest....

But that is for another time...

From Harlot's Parlour: "Make Safety The Priority" (originally posted by Douglas Fox)

2010-06-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

Safety is one of the most important concerns for women who work as prostitutes, particularly for those who work on the streets. I speak from personal experience when I say that women who work as streetwalkers are exposed to dangerous situations - ranging from assault and robbery...to rape...to homicide.

Here in the U.S., the average life expectancy of many women involved in street prostitution is only 34. To make this situation even more tragic, neither politicians nor law enforcement personnel nor the public have been particularly sympathetic to this plight of ladies involved in the life. Firstly, the illegality of prostitution in many countries, including the U.S., is partly responsible for this; secondly, in most countries - whether or not it is legal - prostitution is not socially acceptable. As a result, women who work in the life are marginalised; they are reluctant to report when they are victims of violent crime.

Whenever prostitutes have come forward to report they have been victims of beatings, sexual assault, or attempted murder, they are oftentimes met with a callous response, along with cruel comments such as "It's your fault", or even, "Well, you asked for it". Clearly, there needs to be a change in attitude towards prostitution within mainstream society.

Douglas Fox, who is one of the lead editors of Harlot's Parlour (for which I am a contributing writer) has written about this most eloquently; I have re-printed his essay below in its entirety, along with the link for the original article in the UK online publication Morning Star (although this is regarding a series of killings in the UK, it is relevant to the dangers faced by prostitutes all over the world).

- Marie Brown (Silky)

"MAKE SAFETY THE PRIORITY"

Posted by Douglas Fox

"I think we have to ask why the police fail to see that there is a connection between their enforcement of bad laws and an increase in violent attacks upon sex workers. As we have seen in Bradford and Ipswich and other towns the murder of sex workers seems sadly to be an inevitable outcome when vulnerable people are targeted by the police because of ill thought out legislation. Police enforcement disperses street sex workers forcing them to work alone and in more isolated and dangerous areas. Sex workers fearful of arrest both for themselves and their clients make quick and often lethal decisions. Because of ill conceived law and its enforcement street sex workers in particular become obvious and easy targets for those with violent and murderous intentions.

Clients are now the fashionable target for police operations. Clients however are not the problem. To suggest they are is the most simplistic and naive political posturing. The problem is the law that forces the most vulnerable and desperate people to work in dangerous circumstances. Fearful of violent criminals and of the law many street workers are caught in a trap.

Anti sex worker organisations will claim that selling sex is the problem. It is not.

The selling of sex itself is not the issue and neither is the purchase of sex but rather the manner in which, in this case street sex; is being sold and the reason for which it is being sold which is all to often to feed drug habits.

Criminalising both the sex worker and the client will not stop the transactions from taking place and neither will decriminalising the sex worker while criminalising the client. Getting rid of all the bad and unjust laws that prevent sex workers from organising their work safely would however be the most effective step we as a society can take toward tackling violence within the sex industry. It is simply common sense. If the government were to encourage local authorities to work with sex workers and with local support and out reach groups to establish safe areas where street sex workers could work in greater safety, areas where they could obtain the help they needed and where they could begin to establish a trusting relationship with the police, one that is supportive to both them and their clients; then things would change for the better.

Anti sex work groups will again argue that murders do occur even within so called managed zones. This may be true but the authorities job should be to try and prevent tragedy and not to encourage it. The sad reality is that because of police enforcement of bad laws sex workers are placed in greater danger and sex workers are murdered.

If we are serious about preventing tragedies like those in Bradford occurring again and again then the government must decriminalise sex work.

In the following article from the Morning Star on line the police in Bradford admit to taking robust action against sex workers and their clients. It is a policy that as we have seen over and over again leads to tragedy.

History has proven that criminalising sex work DOES NOT WORK.

Is it not time the government tried something new, something that has been proven to work. Decriminalisation in New Zealand is a documented success.

Decriminalisation has not over night stopped all the abuses within the sex industry, that will take time and patience and understanding. The New Zealand experience has shown however that positive change is possible and that the relationship between the police, local communities and sex workers can improve for the benefit of everyone.

New Zealand has shown that placing the safety and health of sex workers first above moralistic and dangerous political posturing is not only the sensible thing to do but also the right thing for a just and tolerant society to do.

Our government must now do the same. Decriminalisation, often confused with legalisation, is I firmly believe what the British public want. I hope the politicians are listening and that they do not continue to simply reinvent or to continue to enforce abusive and discriminatory laws that have failed and always will fail. I hope that these deaths in Bradford are not yet another tragedy in a long line of preventable tragedies. I hope politicians do the right thing this time and listen to sex workers, listen to out reach workers, listen to academics and listen to the the British public."

Harlot's Parlour: Make Safety The Priority - By Douglas Fox

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/90903

Harlot's Parlour: Sex Workers And Legal Brothels Of Europe

2010-05-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

A brief and entertaining look at the legal brothels within Europe. While I understand the concern of my sisters in the life regarding the possibility of unethical managers within brothels, these places can be a safe haven for prostitutes.

"Prostitutes Of Europe"

2010-05-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mathilde Bouvard, a French artist and photographer, embarked on what she called a "socio-artistic project with a European dimension"; during a tour of European cities, she got in touch with prostitutes who willingly work in the life, taking their pictures and recording their testimonies.

"One day, I realised that I did not want to make art for a purely aesthetic function, but to do it in a more social and human way," explains Bouvard. "The theme of ‘prostitution’ combines three interesting topics: marginality, women, and the idea of sex in our society." The cities in which she captured the images included Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Stockholm, Budapest, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Geneva, London, Bern, and Marseille.

Bouvard's photos put a much-needed human touch in depicting prostitutes: we are not one-dimensional stereotypes - we are like other women everywhere. Just because what we do is unusual and not socially acceptable in much of society does not mean we are less deserving of civil rights.

Mathilde Bouvard (below) has lived in Berlin since 2006, where she founded an artists' collective, S.O.U.A.D., while working on photography, painting, scenography, theatre and film decor, body painting, and live performance art.

S.O.U.A.D. (Berlin)

Hetairae

2010-05-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

The hetairae were the professional courtesans and high-ranking prostitutes of ancient Greece, prized for their intellect and charm as well as for their beauty and sexual favours. Of all the women in ancient Greece, they alone were allowed to join men at drinking parties known as symposia.

Hetaerae appear to have been regarded as distinct from pornê, or simple prostitutes, and also distinguished from mistresses or wives.

Highly educated in music, poetry, philosophy, and current events, hetairae were independent and oftentimes influential women whose opinions and beliefs were respected by men. One had to court the favours of the hetairae, whose company was in great demand.

Bordello

2010-05-07T04:32:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, edgy, yet lush images by Austrian photographer Vee Speers appear in her book "Bordello: The Art Of Seduction". She has lived near the notorious Rue St. Denis in Paris for many years and used her photographs to create her own interpretation of the Paris red-light district from the 1920s and 1930s within the former bordellos, whose elegant interiors have survived.

“From my window I can see the girls waiting downstairs in the doorways, and it has always fascinated me how these women display their bodies up and down the street like gaudy trinkets in a second-hand shop.“

These photographs had been reproduced with Fresson, a unique 19th century hand-worked technique using a charcoal process, creating a sumptuous quality.

Speers' work recalls the decadence of Paris nightlife of the 1920s and 1930s as exemplified by this hauntingly beautiful photograph of a Parisian prostitute from Brassaï (1933):

Alluring, sensuous, feminine...the art of seduction...

Street Life

2010-04-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

Street Life

I still hang around neither lost nor found

Hear the lonely sound of music in the night

Nights are always bright

That's all that's left for me

I play the street life

Because there's no place I can go

Street life, it's the only way I know

Street life

And there's a thousand cards to play

Until you play your life away...

Scarlet Street: Femme Fatale of Film Noir

2010-04-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

The femme fatale is an alluring woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations. No other film genre better captures her essence than the dark, brooding, gritty world of film noir. "Scarlet Street" (1945) tells the story of a sexy, tough-talking prostitute named Kitty and her scheming pimp who take advantage of a shy bank clerk and aspiring painter; her pimp urges her to bilk money from this man, whom they mistakenly believe to be a wealthy artist. He embezzles money from his employer in order to finance a lavish lifestyle for Kitty. Tragedy ensues for all involved.

Femme fatale: the fatal woman...

The Siren

2010-04-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

Siren: an enticing yet dangerous woman...

"What potions have I drunk of Siren tears..."

(Shakespeare, Sonnet 119)

In Greek mythology, sirens were sea nymphs with voices so sweet that mariners who heard their songs were lured into grounding their boats on the rocks on which the beautiful nymphs sang.

In myth and folklore, similarities frequently exist between the stories about mermaids and sirens.

The naiad was a nymph presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, and brooks. Naiads could be dangerous: according to Greek mythology, Hylas of the Argo's crew was lost when he was taken by naiads.

Beware the siren's song of the temptress: bewitching, alluring, dangerous...

Dolce Far Niente: It Is Sweet Doing Nothing

2010-04-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

Luxuriance

Opulence

Extravagance

Abandon

Legalising French Brothels

2010-04-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Although there have been brothels in France since the middle of the 13th century (legalised during that period by royal decree), they were outlawed in 1946, along with active solicitation. Many former brothel owners soon opened "hôtels de passe" where prostitutes could continue working. Additionally, passive solicitation (streetwalking) was outlawed in 2003 as part of a package of law-and-order measures by then-interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy.

Ironically, now that Sarkozy is President, there is a proposal under his administration to re-open brothels. Chantal Brunel, a member of the ruling UMP, called on French authorities to study the possibility of legalising centres where prostitutes could work within a regulated and protected framework. She has stated it's time to move away from attempts to stamp out prostitution and instead focus on making the sex trade safer for prostitutes, and she has urged the government to look at other countries, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, in which licensed brothels are legal. "Prostitutes are finding themselves even more badly treated and damaged than before," she said. "We have to stop their exploitation." More than half of French people agree with this.

However, a month ago, many prostitutes gathered on the streets of Paris to protest this, stating it would deny them the freedom to work on their own. Instead, they are calling for the repeal of the 2003 law which bans streetwalking.

My opinion: While I do understand the concerns of my sisters in the life who oppose this due to the possibility they might be under the control of unscrupulous managers, I completely agree with the legalisation and re-opening of the French brothels; this would be a safe haven for prostitutes. And I also feel it's time to lift the current ban on streetwalking: we hookers should have the right to work when and where we choose.

Now if only adult prostitution in all its forms could be legal here throughout the U.S.

Pigalle Red Light District in Paris: 'La prostitution à Pigalle'

2010-03-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Whore

2010-03-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Mata Hari

2010-03-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

Mata Hari (Indonesian for 'sun': 'eye of the day'), was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle (7 August 1876: the Netherlands ~ 15 October 1917: France). She moved to Paris in 1903 and by 1905 began to win fame as an exotic dancer. Her style and free-willed attitude made her very popular.

She was a courtesan to many high-ranking allied military officers during this time. On one occasion, when interviewed by British intelligence officers, she admitted to working as an agent for French military intelligence, although the latter would not confirm her story.

On 13 February 1917, Mata Hari was arrested in her room at the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, accused of spying for Germany. She was found guilty and was executed by firing squad on 15 October 1917.

In 1985, biographer Russell Warren Howe convinced the French Minister of National Defense to open Mata Hari’s file; it was revealed she was innocent of espionage charges.

To Decriminalise Prostitution

2010-03-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

I first saw this in Harlot's Parlour; this does an excellent job of rebutting the foolish and illogical statements of those who oppose decriminalising prostitution. The arguments in favour of decriminalisation are presented here in a highly intelligent and sensible way.

Masks

2010-03-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

Masks

What we wear

What we are

To hide

To reveal

Intimate
Distant

Knowing
Seeking

Shrouded
Erotic
Escape

Sekhmet: The Great Harlot

2010-03-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

Sekhmet, goddess of ancient Egypt: although she is a goddess of untamed violence, death, and blood, she is also a goddess associated with the wild ecstasy of love and sexuality. Hers is the unleashed feminine sexuality, powerful and intensely passionate, which can frighten many people.

It is this untamed female sexuality which has frightened the christian church; within the book of revelation, she is denounced as the Great Harlot, and called “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of Abominations of the earth.”

Sanguinarian Whore

2010-03-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

Vampires: we haunt your dreams and capture you...

"The Life: Memoirs Of A French Hooker", by Jeanne Cordelier

2010-03-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

"And, like Medea in the midst of so many dangers, I would remember that I still have one thing: myself." (Stendhal)

Many books have been written about prostitution, but none has moved me like this book. First published in France in 1978, "The Life: Memoirs Of A French Hooker" by Jeanne Cordelier is a powerful, harrowing, and realistic account of a young woman named Marie and her descent into the world of prostitution. It is believed this book is at least partly autobiographical; if Ms. Cordelier did survive even some of the life experiences told here, then she is to be commended for her strength - as well as for her brilliant literary talent.

The original title for this book was "La Dérobade", which translates to "The Escape", and this is the focus of the entire book: first Marie's escape from an intolerable family life, which includes living in poverty with an incestuous father and verbally abusive mother; through her chance meeting with a rakishly attractive and mysterious stranger named Gerard, she discovers a way out of this predicament. Gerard reveals to Marie that he is a pimp, and should she work for him as his prostitute, he will provide for her and give her the love she craves so desperately. Pimps have almost uncanny insight into troubled girls and young women who come from unhappy families, and Gerard is no exception. Since she is young and naive, Marie falls for his act, but she is in for quite a rude awakening. Gerard soon reveals himself to be just like many, many other pimps: physically violent to the point of being dangerous as well as psychologically manipulative. From this point on, all she can think about is escaping from Gerard as well as finding a way out of prostitution.

These days, unfortunately, it has become all too common for women cashing in on the current "sex workers' rights" craze to paint a rosy picture that somehow all girls and women who are prostitutes are liberated, happy-go-lucky types who just love what they do, singing merry songs and leaping about as if life were one, big, happy Dr. Pepper commercial. This is extremely misleading. While it is true there are some women who do enjoy working as prostitutes - and I am one of them - many do not enjoy it at all and find it to be degrading and even dangerous (I can personally attest to the "danger" aspect of the life). These "sex worker" proponents on the lecture circuit do a great disservice by not mentioning the fact that most women and girls who become prostitutes - particularly at the street level - started out as runaways and "walk-aways" from abusive parents.

Through Gerard, Marie works as his prostitute in many different settings: in brothels, whose madams take financial advantage of the women who work in these establishments and treat them like cattle; in one brothel, the madam exclaims to Marie and the other working girls, "Ladies, you're cattle - nothing but cattle. And don't you forget it." Marie also works for Gerard in bars and on the street, enduring humiliating arrests by the police as well as beatings from violent customers and even more savage beatings from Gerard.

Marie manages to hang on to herself through her friendship with another prostitute, a girl nicknamed Malou. Together, they give one another the strength they need to survive in the life. But Malou does not work for a pimp; she works for herself in order to support her child, and she is frustrated by the fact that Marie has not yet worked up the courage to leave Gerard. At one point, Malou says, "...Take a look at yourself - a girl like you ought to have her pockets bulging with loot. Either you haven't got the nerve, or you actually enjoy the life you're leading..."

As a streetwalker, Marie feels she has hit rock bottom: "...I'm dying on my feet in the murky light of dark alleys, and there's no one to hold out a hand to me..." Sooner or later, we all come to the realisation that we can descend no further, and sometimes, this gives us the impetus to escape. And this is what happens to Marie. Through connections of her older sister Lulu - who at one time had also been a prostitute - she escapes Gerard for good, fleeing to a seedy brothel in the south of France, near Marseilles. Overworked by the cruel madam who runs this brothel, she returns to Paris. Marie then walks into the local police station and requests that her name be removed from the files of the vice squad, signing her name on a form stipulating she will not return to the life.

What a deeply moving book - filled with a wild mixture of despair, dangerous situations, suspense, and even a bit of humour. Ms. Cordelier also writes beguiling descriptive passages; of the street life: "...For those who know how to smell, it's a true perfume, and it's free to boot, and it makes you love the nighttime...And one girl and then another go on fluttering around the extinguished street lamp. It doesn't matter if their lyrics have altered slightly - it's still the old, reliable tune, and it says: Come away with me!"

The film version of this book was originally released in 1979; it was released here in the U.S. in 1982, which is when I saw it. I was impressed. Starring Miou Miou as Marie and Maria Schneider as Malou, the film caught the true flavour of the book and was equally haunting.

For anyone who wants an accurate account of the world of prostitution, "The Life: Memoirs Of A French Hooker" is the one book to read.

And To Work For A Pimp...

2010-02-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

What motivated me to work for a pimp - however briefly - a few years ago? He represented protection and stability, and he made me feel special. Of course, this had to do with the manipulative skills of pimps, but he was very good at at. Working as a prostitute, particularly as a streetwalker, you can sometimes feel lost and alone, and when a pimp talks to you, he can make the future sound so much better, so you feel like hanging on to him. And, for me, there is something very sexy about a pimp - he seems more masculine and stronger than a lot of other men, and as a sensitive lady, being around this type of man makes me feel safe.

There is another aspect to the relationship between a prostitute and her pimp which happens to be disturbing: violence, or at least the potential for violence. This one particular pimp I worked for was not violent towards me. (But then, I worked for him very briefly; he and his main lady were from out of state and invited me to accompany them back to their home town. When I said "no", since I was content working in my own city, he accepted my response in a good-natured way.)

I'd had a previous encounter with another pimp, which scared me. Although he did not hit me, he threatened to do so if I didn't bring him a certain amount of money. When I got on the track that night, I mentioned this to the first trick who drove up to me, and he drove me to the apartment where I was living at the time. (I was not living with this pimp - we had just met that same day - and he didn't know where I lived.)

Would I work for a pimp again? This is not an easy question for me to answer. My first response would be "no", since I do like my freedom to come and go as I wish, working my own hours; however, I also highly value and respect a strong man who could protect me and make me feel I can do my best in this world.

On My Being A Hooker: Enough Is Enough With Judgmental People...

2010-02-18T03:47:00.000-08:00

Enough is enough with judgmental people putting me down because they think my lifestyle as a prostitute is risqué and not socially acceptable: who are they to judge? Come on: flatbacking is not the worst way to earn a living. I’m simply doing what I do in order to survive, and the fact that I enjoy being a hooker is no one’s business.

I’m a lady of the streets, and I can’t help it; this is the way I am. A white trash whore? Whatever. If you don’t approve of this, then keep your priggish, judgmental attitude to yourself.

Odalisque

2010-02-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

An odalisque was a personal chambermaid of the concubines in the harem of a Turkish sultan, trained in the art of being a concubine, or courtesan. She would then sexually serve the sultan, which would result in the change of her status to concubine. If she gave birth to the sultan's son, she would then become one of his wives.

Today, odalisque refers to a woman who is the courtesan of a wealthy and powerful man.

The Sweetest Kiss

2010-02-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Love For Sale

2010-02-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

Love For Sale
When the only sound on the empty street
Is the heavy tread of the heavy feet
That belong to a lonesome cop
I open shop
The moon so long has been gazing down
On the warward ways of this wayward town
Her smile becomes a smirk, I go to work
Love for sale
Appetizing young love for sale
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled
Love that's only slightly soiled
Love for sale
Who will buy
Who would like to sample my supply
Who's prepared to pay the price
For a trip to paradise
Love for sale
Let the poets pipe of love
In their childish ways
I know every type of love
Better far than they
If you want the thrill of love
I've been through the mill of love
Old love
New love
Every love but true love
Love for sale
Appetizing young love for sale
If you want to buy my wares
Follow me and climb the stairs
Love for sale
(by Cole Porter)

Love for sale? Well, it is certainly sex for sale. And for some customers, fantasy is also for sale; in many cases, the customer is searching for something not available to him in his day-to-day world. Having worked as a prostitute on and off for quite some time, I have made a discovery of my own: some of these men are seeking more than physical release; they want to reach beyond what they already have. For them, I am Scheherazade - a storyteller - and I use not words but my body.

Let me be your Scheherazade
your breath, your blood, your life,
weaving tales of desire
through the jasmine scented night.
I will worship you alone
dark sultan of my dreams,
if you whisper, your voice like velvet,
of pleasures yet unknown.
I shall surrender willingly
as your hands possess,
strong and firm upon my skin
yet soft as silks caress.
I will kneel before you,
grant your every wish,
I will give you everything
if you allow me this.
Let me be your Scheherazade,
lie back on velvet pillows
and I will dance the seven veils
in silken swirling billows.
Let me be your lotus,
sweet, tender and pale,
a dewey petaled flower
that opens delicately
at dusks darkening hour.
Let me be your Scheherazade
a gift like desert rain
to trace in grace your dark skin
with locks of raven mane.
I will deliver un-ending delights
throughout the sultry night,
the nectar of mango upon your lips
combined with hungry kiss.
In the corner, over charcoal
amber resin glows
an ancient scent as dark and deep
as the Niles water flows.
I will be your mystery
like the sacred shadowed halls
where history reveals itself
and the pyramids secrets live.
Let me be your Scheherazade
for I have much to tell you...
and even more to give.
(by Goddess Athena:
www.writing.com)

To Be A Submissive

2010-02-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

Some of us ladies who are courtesans - myself included - are submissives held in thrall by the magic of the forbidden. The taboo of BDSM is an irresistible lure into another, darker, yet enchanting world...

A wonderful and informative book about the world of BDSM: "Screw The Roses, Send Me The Thorns", by Philip Miller and Molly Devon...

Leda And The Swan

2010-02-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Leda And The Swan is a motif from Greek mythology, in which Zeus came to Leda in the form of a swan and either raped or seduced Leda on the same night she slept with her husband.

"Leda and the Swan"

A sudden blow: the great wings beating still

Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed

By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,

He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.

How can those terrified vague fingers push

The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?

And how can body, laid in that white rush,

But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?

A shudder in the loins engenders there

The broken wall, the burning roof and tower

And Agamemnon dead.

Being so caught up,

So mastered by the brute blood of the air

Did she put on his knowledge with his power

Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?

(William Butler Yeats)

Vintage French Postcards

2010-02-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

The seductive allure of the courtesan is depicted beautifully in vintage French postcards: sexy, alluring, and charming.

Vintage Courtesan

2010-01-29T05:33:00.000-08:00

"Sexual pleasure in woman is a kind of magic spell; it demands complete abandon; if words or movements oppose the magic of caresses, the spell is broken." (Simone de Beauvoir)

Friday is sacred to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty...The beauty of woman's sexuality was depicted exquisitely in vintage images from times gone by...

Cleopatra

2010-01-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

Luxuriating in beauty treatments is essential to the courtesan; she knows this is a wonderful way to celebrate her sensuality.

Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, was known for her beautiful complexion. One of ancient Egypt's most effective skin treatments is still in use today: milk and honey.

Cleopatra's Milk And Honey Bath

1.) 2 cups of milk
2.) 2 tbls honey
3.) rosewater

Pour milk, honey, and rosewater into a warm bath before stepping into the water. Soak for at least 20 minutes. The honey will soften and the milk will exfoliate your skin.

Cleopatra's Milk And Honey Cleanser

1.) Half cup honey
2.) Half cup plain yogurt
3.) 3 teaspoons rosewater

After mixing, apply a small amount to the face and neck and massage gently.

The eyes are the most captivating feature, and a courtesan knows this well. In ancient Egypt, kohl was used to accentuate the eyes. Kohl is powdered antimony, a brittle metallic elementary body of bright bluish-white colour and flaky crystalline texture. Artemis Imports, a belly dance mail-order supply house, sells both light and darker grades of kohl of fine quality: http://www.artemisimports.com/

To apply kohl you need:
1) a small stick or large toothpick which has both ends rounded off. Place this in olive oil overnight so that it soaks into the wood. You may also use the olive oil to clean your stick after use.
2) a packet of kohl powder.

Hold stick in right hand to apply to right eye. Dip tip of stick into kohl powder. Hold stick parallel to eye, and starting at the inner point of the eye, run it between the eyelids. Re-powder stick, hold in left hand and repeat on left eye.

The secret to being a courtesan? Always pamper yourself: you deserve it.

New Orleans: Courtesans In The Big Easy

2010-01-19T02:29:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I purchased "Storyville Portraits", a fascinating book containing the pictures of New Orleans prostitutes taken by photographer E.J. Bellocq circa 1912. Between 1897 and 1917, New Orleans had numerous legalized brothels, ranging from elegant establishments to seedy rooms known as "cribs", within Storyville, the city's red light district.

Some of the prostitutes who posed for Bellocq were dressed in formal evening attire, some were naked, some were clad in their undergarments. He had developed a comfortable rapport with these ladies and allowed them to pose any way they wished.

Bellocq's beautiful and haunting photos provided the inspiration for Louis Malle's 1978 film "Pretty Baby".

While a few of the photos might be considered a bit risqué by some, they are not exploitative, and in fact, depict a loving and even somewhat poignant view of ladies of the evening in a more innocent and gracious era.

Veronica Franco - Courtesan of Venice

2010-01-17T02:39:00.000-08:00

"So sweet and delicious do I become,
when I am in bed with a man
who, I sense, loves and enjoys me,
that the pleasure I bring excels all delight,
so the knot of love, however tight
it seemed before, is tied tighter still."
— Veronica Franco (Poems and Selected Letters)

It is always inspiring to read about other courtesans. One of the most famous courtesans was Veronica Franco, who was born in Venice in 1546 and learned the art of being a courtesan from her mother, Paola Fracassa. Venice has always been a city of great culture and refinement, and Veronica Franco fit right in; in addition to being a courtesan, she was also a poet and musician and was also knowledgeable in Greek. These attributes served as her entrée into the ranks of the Venice nobility.

To be a courtesan of refinement and elegance will serve a woman well in her quest to engage in fulfilling relationships with men, since this enhances the passion generated by the deeply sexual and erotic nature of male-female intimacy.

The Art Of Being A Courtesan

2010-01-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

Courtesan: the word conjures up images both exotic and erotic. And this is definitely the case. While "sacred prostitution" is a myth (in ancient times, there were no places of worship devoted to prostitution, despite claims made by some in the New Age movement), it is entirely possible for a woman to connect - or perhaps reconnect - with the erotic aspect of womanhood vis-a-vis her relationships with men. It is a way to bring joy and beauty into the male-female relationship. It is entirely appropriate to begin this blog on a Friday, since this is the day devoted to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty.