Best Sex Writing 2009 - erotic book by Cleis Press Inc. - review by Desdimona

This collection, like all of the “Best Sex Writing” anthologies that I've read, contains a mixture of personal sexual stories and more journalistic type pieces. I found the journalistic pieces interesting, but not as “hot” as some of the journalism that I've read in previous “Best Sex Writing” anthologies. Some of these pieces – for example, one on dating websites specifically for people with STDs, or another on sex offender laws – are not at all the kind of thing that get the blood rushing to my genitals. In fact, these and some other pieces in this collection can be a bit sobering.

Some of the journalism in here gives you a peek into the sexual lives of other Americans; if you find that sort of thing interesting, then this might be the right kind of collection for you. I read “Father Knows Best” – about girls who take pledges of virginity at Purity Balls with their fathers – with something bordering on fascination, and “Oldest Profession 2.0,” which discusses how sex workers use the Internet to support each other, was also very interesting in a voyeuristic kind of way. The piece that I found most interesting among those that I would categorize as “journalistic” pieces is Mary Roach's “The Immaculate Orgasm” – an excerpt from her book “Bonk” that discusses what an orgasm is in physiological terms.

My favorite pieces in the book were those that I would categorize under the “personal sexual stories” label. “Unleash the Beast” is a thoughtful reflection by a married woman about how having casual sex improved her life. In a similar vein, “In Defense of Casual Sex” offers what its title promises – the author's personal feelings about why casual sex is not just okay, but sometimes liberating. “One Rape, Please (To Go)” is the most humorous piece in the book – the author writes about hiring a male sex worker to act out her rape fantasy and how the experience wasn't quite what she expected.

The best piece in the book, however, is “Penises I Have Known” by Daphne Merkin. The author applies her formidable intelligence to the subject of male genitalia, and offers a meditation on penises that is both humorous and insightful. The piece is almost a paean to penises, and Merkin pulls this off without being cheesy or overwrought. If you have any interest in penises whatsoever, I recommend buying “Best Sex Writing 2009” just so you can have the pleasure of reading this piece.