Life in CA (B2B)
From Burbank to Berkeley, a few recent photographs. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photography.
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Filtering by Tag: PHOTOGRAPHS
A Trip Home
Yesterday, I flew up to the Bay Area, where I was doing a brown bag book talk at U.C. Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. I got there early, and that gave me a chance to have breakfast, visit Pegasus Books where I was happy to see my book on a shelf, and go to my childhood home and knock on the front door (more on that in an upcoming post). After that, I went to Cal for the talk. I was interviewed by journalist and producer Cecilia Lei, who did a wonderful job asking insightful questions, turning what could have been bearing witness to a Q&A into a three-way dialogue with the audience, and prompting me to think about some of the deeper themes in and larger issues surrounding my book in new ways. Thank you to everyone who came. I’ve been doing a lot of promoting of my memoir this month, these last couple weeks in particular. After I’m done with the last event, which is this weekend, I’ll be writing a longer post about everything I learned about marketing one’s book. The photo is of the courtyard at the J-school. It was a bit overcast, but so are most days in the Bay Area in spring.
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Life in LA (Purple)
A few recent photographs from around Los Angeles. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photography.
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Pam's Coffy
A movie poster on the wall at the very cool Pam’s Coffy. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photographs.
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Black and Clouds
Clouds over a black mirrored building in Encino. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photographs.
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The Woman on the Wall
A parking lot mural at Circus Liquor in North Hollywood. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photographs.
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Flight
A shot out the window over California on a recent flight. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photographs.
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Humphrey Bogart
A Franklin Village parking lot mural of Humphrey Bogart. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photos.
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Life in LA
Rabbits, Malibu Canyon, and a dress made of books. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photographs.
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Blue Curtain
A blue curtain at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photos.
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Bukkake Boy
A performer on the set of a bukkake shoot, early 2000s. Follow me on Instagram for more of my photographs.
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Asian Mannequin
An Asian mannequin on Hollywood Boulevard. Follow me on Instagram for more photos from my life in L.A.
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Me and Brad Pitt
My breakfast, including a Brad Pitt celebralatte. Follow me on Instagram for more photos from my life in L.A.
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Unicorn Love
This afternoon, I decided to go to an adult toy store. Awhile back, I had read about a line of sex toys that were, well, out of this world. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Creature Cocks, but they’re billed as “The Original Fantasy, Sci-Fi Monster Dildos.” If you’ve ever wanted to get intimate with a Radioactive Reptile Thick Scaly Silicone Dildo, a Gargoyle Rock Hard Silicone Dildo, an Orion Invader Veiny Space Alien Silicone Dildo, a Monstropus Tentacled Monster Silicone Dildo, or a Hydra Sea Monster Silicone Dildo, this product line is for you. In fact, I had seen Creature Cocks in the silicone flesh before. A few months ago, I had gone to an adult store in Sherman Oaks, and I had stared at a display of Creature Cocks, but I hadn’t bought one. I wasn’t sure what I would do with it. I had this idea I would keep it on my desk as a sort of talisman, but ultimately, I couldn’t decide on which one and left.
Recently, I read on AVN—which one could argue is the Variety of the adult business—that XR Brands, the company that produces Creature Cocks, was releasing even more Creature Cocks in new enhanced designs. These Creature Cocks were even more out there, among them a Sea Stallion Vibrating Silicone Dildo with Remote and, the one that really caught my eye, a Centaur Explosion Squirting Silicone Dildo. As a long-time watcher of “Shark Tank,” I had to wonder what need was being met. Was there really a demand for not just centaur dildos, but centaur squirting dildos? The answer was clear: Yes. In any case, I was curious to check out the new models.
When I arrived at the adult store, I was the only customer there. I said hello to the guy working behind the counter and found the Creature Cocks display between two doors marked Employees Only and under a sign that read DO NOT OPEN PRODUCT. (I wasn’t going to, but duly noted.) I scanned the boxes, considering the Swamp Monster Green Scaly Silicone Dildo (disturbingly, it had eyes), the Space Cock Glow-in-the-Dark Silicone Alien Dildo (were those blue … testicles?), and a Makara Glow-in-the-Dark Silicone Snake Dildo (I shuddered at its 18-inch length). A woman walked into the store and inquired about a remote-controlled sex toy. The guy behind the counter explained the cheapest one they had was $130. This was more than she expected to spend, she explained. I handled a large black box that contained a Mystique Silicone Unicorn Dildo. The toy’s rainbow color was aesthetically appealing, and it seemed like it would be hard to go wrong with anything unicorn.
At the register, I inquired about the new Creature Cocks products, but he explained they weren’t in stock at the store yet. “Do a lot of people buy Creature Cocks?” I asked, passing the unicorn dildo to him across the counter. “Yeah, people get them all the time, actually,” he told me. So, I wasn’t the only one. After I paid, I headed for the door. “Have a great night!” he called after me cheerily.
When I got home, I pulled the box out of the bag. YOU’LL BE ENTRANCED AS THE RAREST OF CREATURES, THE UNICORN, PENETRATES YOUR PLEASURE GARDEN! the front of the box promised. I opened the top and withdrew the dildo; it was nestled in a plastic container. I touched the dildo’s bottom tentatively (according to the box, this was the STRONG SUCTION BASE); it felt like rubbery flesh. I removed the dildo from the plastic shell; the toy was heavier than I had expected. I stood the dildo on my desk. It was thick and tapered, tan and blue and purple, covered in spiraling ripples. For some reason, I had expected it would do something, but this wasn’t a vibrator. Instead, it sat there, listing slightly, next to my keyboard.
RIDE THIS UNTAMABLE BEAST ALL THE WAY TO FANTASTICAL PLEASURE, the box demanded. I attempted to pick up the dildo, but it had suctioned itself to my desk. With a tug, it came loose. I waved the dildo around. It wagged pleasantly. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it, but I was sure of one thing.
I had a unicorn dildo.
This post originally appeared on my newsletter: The Reverse Cowgirl.
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Blue Mannequin
A blue backyard mannequin in Lake Balboa. Follow me on Instagram for more photos from my life in L.A.
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Consider the Woodsman
Porn set, Canoga Park, CA | Photo credit: Susannah Breslin
“Two of the [male porn stars] I interviewed have since died.” Read the rest of my latest Reverse Cowgirl newsletter: “The Hard Thing About Being a Male Porn Star.” Subscribe to get it Sundays in your inbox.
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Porn Star in Fishnets
A porn star on the set of an adult movie in 2009. Follow me on Instagram for more photos from my life in L.A.
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Hope
Utility box art with a simple message: HOPE. Follow me on Instagram for more photos from my life in L.A.
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Breaker Beauties (1977)
A poster for “Breaker Beauties” at a sidewalk sale. Follow me on Instagram for more photos from my life in L.A.
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