March 25th, 2012

If you’re ever in Philadelphia, at any time near the 3rd Tuesday of the month… I’d highly recommend arranging your travel plans to include a visit to the Erotic Literary Salon’s monthly Salon event.

Hosted by sexologist Dr. Susana Mayer, the Salon features one erotica reader and holds a sort of open mic (through reservation, though — and spots fill up fast!) for other attendees. The featured reader gets 10 minutes, and other readers get 5.

I’m very pleased I was a featured reader if only to get those 10 minutes! Honestly, I find choosing a 10-minute excerpt to be very challenging, and 5 minutes would throw me into a complete panic. That’s as a reader, though. As a listener, I can assure you that 5 minutes can pack quite a punch, and the readings I heard were fantastic.

I got lucky — I’d chosen a humorous excerpt from “Sales Pitch,” one of my favorites from Transported: Erotic Travel Tales. It’s not the one that usually gets special mention from reviewers, but … well, I like it, and I get to make the choice. Quite a few other people also chose to do humorous pieces (like Rochelle Lewis and her hilarious “Skanky Ho”), and the audience was very responsive and engaged. I had a blast.

It’s a nice space, too: the upper floor of a restaurant (The Bohemian Absinthe Lounge), which features a bar and food service as well. The event ran about two and a half hours, with a 15-minute intermission, and unfortunately not everyone who was on the waitlist to read got a chance (though of course they could still read next month. That’s why I said, be sure to sign up early if you’re interested in reading!). I’d guess there were about 100 people there; standing room only by the end, but not uncomfortably crowded.

I was particularly pleased to meet in person some erotica writers I’d met and known only online, such as erobintica and Riccardo Berra, who happened to be in town that Tuesday for the Salon.

For more information about attending the Salon, the direct link is here. Again — I highly recommend it! But even if you can’t make it ever, it’s worth checking out the Salon homepage for daily news on issues of sex, sexuality, and erotica.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, March 25th, 2012 at 8:15 pm and is filed under • Reading at the Erotic Literary Salon. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

4 Responses to “Reading at the Erotic Literary Salon”

K D Grace Says:

I’m SO jeaolus, Shar!

I would have absolutely loved to have been there to hear you and all the other fab readers. And I adore Susana!

I LOVE your story Sales Pitch, and I can imagine the audience both laughing and squirming in damp seats;)

Thanks for sharing!

KDx

Fulani Says:

Sounds like it was a great event, and congratulations!

Susana Mayer, Ph.D. Says:

Sharazade, your reading was wonderful, as I’m certain you noted from the grand applause. Do return and grace our gathering again.

KD Grace – feels quite grand to be adored. Thx.

warmly,

Susana

Confessions Says:

I wish I was there listening to you speak.

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