I was, of course, very excited when I heard about a zine for transmen. There are so many resources and so much visibility for MTF transwomen. I suppose they probably start with some amount of male privilege and people think that drag queens are interesting. Transmen don’t have the same visibility and this is the first time I heard about media being created by transmen for transmen. Original Plumbing is a gorgeous photo heavy zine. Issue #1 features interviews and pictures of five transmen plus articles and stories. This is the “bedroom issue” where we get to know the guys in their own homes and their own skin. There are a few full color pictures and the cover is full color, as much as you can reasonably get printed at this price. I was particularly impressed with the diversity of folks, covering different races, ethnicities and social classes, but they also make sure to cover a diverse range of body sizes, shapes, surgeries and hormone use. The articles and stories seems to be written for transmen. One article is about the German health care system paying for surgeries for gender transition, and another about hookups on craigslist. The stories are lovely snippets of life stories, and there is no indication if they’re fictional or not. It’s half-sized, meaning it’s the size of a standard 8.5 x 12 sheet of paper folded in half. There are fifty pages, and they even have advertising, though it seems to be mostly ads for porn sites. Original Plumbing is published quarterly.

#2 is on order. I went ahead and bought a subscription.

There is a new book out about femme identity. I was supposed to review the book and write up a blog for the virtual book tour in April, but I wasn’t able to open the file and read the book. I know it’s now June but I wanted to make sure to pimp the book anyway. They are going to be doing readings at SF Pride, but I don’t have the info on that yet. For now you can take a look at the Femmethology site and see what other folks are saying about this necessary and provocative book.

“Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Women Couples:

Have you been together for 5+ years?

Do you enjoy a satisfying sex life?

I’d like to hear from you: What makes your sexual relationship work?

Will you help me research a new sex guide for lesbian couples?

I am conducting confidential interviews (via telephone) with couples who enjoy a satisfying sexual relationship. I am interested in exploring the ways we “grow� our sexual partnerships.

I want to know what makes your sexual relationship work. How do you sustain erotic interest over the years? How do you face the sexual challenges that inevitably arise in a long-term relationship? How has your coupled sexuality evolved? How does your partnership support your sexual growth and pleasure? In short, what are the payoffs of an ongoing sexual relationship?
I want to hear from couples who have been together 5+ years, and who feel their sexual relationship “works� — however you would define that. (Even if you wouldn’t say you have the perfect sex life, if you are generally fulfilled in your sexual relationship, I want to hear from you.)

The Whole Lesbian Sex Book has informed, supported, and entertained many thousands of women in the nearly 10 years since it was published. Now I’m turning my attention to couples. As a somatic coach and sex educator, I help many couples who are quite unsatisfied with their sex lives. I’m doing this research so that I can better help them—and, of course, the many couples who will read the book.

There will be a reciprocal aspect to these interviews. In our telephone conversation, you’ll have an opportunity to ask me questions, too.

All interviews will be strictly confidential, and interviewees will be quoted anonymously in my book.

Thanks so much!
Best wishes,
Felice Newman

www.felicenewman.com

Whether you identify as lesbian, bisexual, or queer; butch, femme or androgynous; polyamorous, monogamous; adventurous, sensual, kinky; boi, MTF, butch-in-transition, transmen, partner of an FTMs and MTFs, intersex, traditionally gendered or transgendered; sexually experienced or new to sexual exploration, I want to hear from you!

Felice Newman is a sex educator and Somatic Coach certified by the Strozzi Institute. She is the author of The Whole Lesbian Sex Book: A Passionate Guide for All of Us (Cleis Press), and a founding co-publisher of Cleis Press. Felice has appeared on Dr. Drew’s Love Line, Derek & Romaine Show, and other radio programs, and has spoken to audiences on sexuality in many cities. She has been the resident sex coach on ClassicDykes.com and has offered sex advice on About.com and LesbiaNation.com. She lives with her partner in the San Francisco Bay Area where she coaches individuals and couples. She is a member of The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS).”

Sergeant Ryan Thomas thinks a traffic stop is nothing more than the mundane routine that fills her isolated life. In truth this particular traffic stop is actually a moment in time that will change the course of her life.

Dr. Tobi Drexler, comfortable in her stable life as a radiologist, suddenly finds her life about to take a different road which ultimately will lead both women into an adventure that will test them as never before.

Amidst the beginnings of their new relationship, there is a malevolent force that is determined at all costs to exact revenge. He has an agenda, and one of them will pay, and pay dearly.

From beginning to end, you will meet a myriad of unforgettable people; people whose lives mingle and intersect. Will one of them be responsible for the turmoil and danger surrounding Ryan and Tobi? Will they find the answer before it’s too late?

Behind this drama and suspense is a blossoming romance that will capture your heart and leave you wanting more!

BIG & little: An Anthology of Age Play Dynamics
Edited by Sassafras Lowrey *
Publisher: Nazca Plains Corporation
Deadline: May 1, 2007
Payment: One Contributor Copy

Age play and those who participate in these dynamics have remained shrouded in misunderstanding despite the exponential growth of the larger leather community. “BIG & little: An Anthology of Age Play Dynamics� will begin to fill the gap in information by being the first non-fiction book to address the complexities and diversity of our community. “BIG & little� will foster dialogue within the growing age play community and provides an opportunity for “little ones� (boys, girls, princesses, etc.) as well as “big ones� (daddies, mommies, uncles, etc.) to talk about this very important and empowering aspect of their lives. It will also serve as an introduction for those unfamiliar with age play dynamics.

All those with age play experience are invited to contribute. Dynamics beyond the Daddy/boy, Mommy/girl norms (such as big sister/little sister, scoutmaster/scout) are particularly encouraged to participate. The anthology will encompass a range of perspectives, varying from individuals living in full-time dynamics to those who engage in occasional age play scenes. “BIG & little� will represent the diverse voices of age play community members across lines of race, class, gender, sexuality, geographic region and biological age.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:
Exploring the cultural misunderstanding as to what age play is (or ISN’T)
Letters to Daddy
Bedtime stories for little girls
Ruminations on the perfect Mommy
Personal accounts of the healing power of age play

Submissions should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words in length and previously unpublished. Submit your piece via e-mail in .doc format to BIGandlittle_anthology@yahoo.com. Multiple submissions per contributor are welcome. Please include a short biography and contact information with your submission. Submissions must be received no later than May 1, 2007; contributors are encouraged to submit early. All pieces published become the sole property of the publisher. Contributors whose work appears in the anthology will receive one free copy of the book.

* – Sassafras Lowrey is a writer and artist who contributes regularly to regional and international queer and leather publications. Sassafras has been active in the leather community for several years as a high femme little boy living in a 24/7 Daddy/boy dynamic.

VISIBLE: A FEMMETHOLOGY
an anthology of writing on queer femme identity

Editor: Maria Angeline
Publisher: Merge Press
Submissions Deadline: March 15, 2007

Anticipated Publication Date: Spring 2008

Femmes are still invisible. Society can’t see past our heels to hear our stories, so we must continue to build platforms for our voices. Visible: A Femmethology, a forthcoming anthology about the power and complications in presenting femme as a gender and breaking the traditional meaning of feminine, aims to showcase blunt, personal essays exploring what “femme� means to those who claim it as an identity.

Give me your experiences, your inner dialogues, your theories and practices. Please do not send fiction, poetry, or erotica. I will not consider any material to which you do not fully own the rights. I am seeking prose that is thoughtful, analytical, raw, challenging, exploratory, and uniquely you.

Submissions must be sent as Word files with text in 12 point Times New Roman font. Essays must be previously unpublished, 1500-6000 words in length, and typed double-spaced. You may submit more than one essay.

Author maintains and controls the copyright of their essay and licenses their First North American Rights to Merge Press for publication purposes. Author retains the right to reprint the material in any publication. Contributing writers will share 25% of the net profits of Visible: A Femmethology and receive a free copy of the anthology.

Send SUBMISSIONS ONLY to Maria Angeline at femmethology at mergepress dot com. Include your legal name, pseudonym (if any) you wish to use, address, phone number, email, and the bio you would like to appear in the book if your selection is chosen for publication. Put the title of your essay in the subject line of the email. Each essay must be emailed separately.

Send questions to Maria Angeline here.

Visible: A Femmethology is expected to be released in 2008. Do not email to inquire about the status of your submission after you receive a confirmation that it has been received. It is not possible to respond to all email inquires. Once selections have been made, every person who has submitted work will be sent an announcement. Please do not submit material if you do not regularly check your email.

Please post freely!