The Best American Sex Writing 2004

Just in time for summer beach reading, this annual compendium of the most entertaining and provocative writing on this intermittently interesting (every twenty seconds) subject freewheelingly incorporates essay, journalism, fiction, advice column, lecture, speech, book excerpt, transcript, letter, blog—all the ways we write about sex now. But is there really anything left to say about it? Some of America’s funniest, best informed, most adventurous writers answer with a Molly Bloom’s worth of Yesses. Is monogamy genetically determined? Are all strippers sexually abused man-haters? What really happens inside America’s legalized brothels or Manhattan’s priciest escort services? How many orgasms are too many? From the strippers of Portland to sex advice for Catholic girls, The Best American Sex Writing tackles the stuff being left out of today’s “sex education” classes—in other words, just about everything. Fortunately, no book on sex can make you an expert, but The Best American Sex Writing can whet your appetite for the real thing—and still leave you satisfied. Writings include selections from Dan Savage, Susie Bright, Chuck Palahniuk, Denis Cooper, Amy Sohn, Tracy Quan, Bert Archer, Tristan Taormino, Cara Bruce, Jonathan Ames, Carol Queen, Jennifer Finney Boylan, Matt Ridley, Lily Burana, Melinda Anderson, Kathleen Murray, and others.