We just wanted to do a quick plug for our friend Clarisse Thorn‘s new book, Confessions of a Pick up Artist Chaser. Clarisse is a local feminist, pro-BDSM sex-positive activist, writer, and educator. You may recognize her from Role/Reboot or the Sex+++ film series at the Jane Adams Hull House. And if you do, you probably already know that she rules.
So here’s a description of the new book:
There’s an enormous subculture of men who trade tips, tricks, and tactics for seducing women. Within the last half-decade or so, these underground “pickup artists” have burst into the popular consciousness, aided by Neil Strauss’s bestselling book “The Game” and VH1’s hit reality show “The Pick-Up Artist.” Some men in the seduction community are sleazy misogynists who want nothing more than power and control. Some are shy wallflowers who don’t know how to say “Hi” to a girl. The one thing they all have in common is a driving need to attract women.
Clarisse Thorn, a feminist S&M writer and activist, spent years researching these guys. She observed their discussions, watched them in action, and learned their strategies. By the end of it all, she’d given a lecture at a seduction convention and decided against becoming the next great dating coach. In “Confessions of a Pickup Artist Chaser,” Clarisse tells the story of her time among these Casanovas, as well as her own unorthodox experiences with sex and relationships. She examines the conflicts and harmonies of feminism, pickup artistry, and the S&M community. Most of all, she deconstructs and reconstructs our views on sex, love, and ethics — and develops her own grand theory of the game.
Totally nuanced and fascinating stuff to be sure. There are also a bunch of reviews if you scroll down over here. The book has already made quite a splash, so go ahead and check it out for yourself!
