February Note from Tristan

Hi all,

January was a very busy month for me, but I am happy to say I finished my new book for Quiver, The Big Book of Sex Toys! My first Quiver book, The Anal Sex Position Guide, comes out this spring, so stay tuned for details about it. Amazon finally has the new, final cover up, and it looks really hot! Speaking of heat, Penny Flame and I have been hard at work on the next Vivid-Ed movie, Penny Flame’s Expert Guide to Rough Sex, which will be out in March. I’m thrilled to report that Chemistry 3 has been selected to be screened at the 2009 CineKink Film Festival in New York City, and Chemistry 1 will be shown as part of the 10th Annual Red Dawns Feminist and Queer Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia (March 5-8, 2009). I have also been working on a few new media projects, which I hope to tell you more about in the very near future! I meant to send this newsletter out at the beginning of the month, but I was swamped getting ready for Dark Odyssey: Winter Fire. I am happy to report that it was an amazing weekend!

Just before Dark Odyssey, I headed to Winter Wickedness in Ohio, where I taught and gave the keynote address; some local right wing nut protested the event, there were actually picketers and we were the top story on the local news! I have finally recovered from Dark Odyssey, and now I am packing for a quick trip to the West Coast where I’m speaking at University of Washington Bothell. This coming Friday I travel back to Washington, DC for some fantastic events, all sponsored by Whole, the sex-positive community center and boutique that opens later this year; events include an anal sex workshop, a VIP brunch, a reading with Open author Jenny Block at Georgetown, and The PolyAfterParty! I then hop over to Baltimore for a class at sex positive shop Sugar and a presentation at Goucher College. At the beginning of March, I will be at Food for Thought Books in Amherst for a Best Lesbian Erotica 2009 reading. I’ll definitely be ready for some R and R after that! As always, I hope to see some of you on the road!

with lube + affection,
Tristan

P.S. I’m still in love with Twitter, please come follow me: http://www.twitter.com/tristantaormino

February Tour Schedule

Hey folks! I’m about to hit the road on tour for February and early March, and I wanted to let you all know where I’ll be heading - Dallas, St. Louis, New Haven, New York City, Washington DC, Denver, Boulder, and Ontario! If you’re in the area for any of my events, please come out & see me - and let your friends know about it, too!

Until then,

Tristan

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February 4-7
Creating Change Conference
Dallas, TX
Tristan will be one of the featured presenters at the Sexual Liberation Institute, one of the day-long institutes at Creating Change, the annual conference of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. She will also be a panelist on several panels related to sex within the LGBT movement. As we look around at our fierce battles to win marriage rights, establish and protect our families, and secure the economic well-being of our diverse households, one is struck by the near-erasure of LGBT sexuality in these struggles, and by the silencing of frank dialogue about sexual diversity and sexual practices in our communities. Do we still believe that LGBT people have a unique contribution to make in American life in the areas of sexual liberation and sexual expression? Or is our desire irrelevant to the quest for “equality”? This year’s Sexual Liberation Institute will focus on desire – our individual desires: how we have shaped them and how they have shaped us. The personal is still political. Come to this workshop and find out how to connect the dots between claiming your power in the bedroom and seizing power in the streets or the halls of justice.

February 7-11
Sex Week at Washington University
St. Louis, MO
Tristan will be the featured guest at Sex Week at Washington University. More details to come.

February 13, 7:00 pm
Sex, Gender and Pornography Panel
New Haven, CT
Moderated by Lux Alptraum, guests (all pioneers in progressive porn production) discuss how gender has influenced their roles and aspirations within the adult film industry. Panelists include creator of alt porn site BurningAngel.com, Joanna Angel, Feminist Porn Award-winning director/educator Tristan Taormino, Feminist Porn Award-winning director, Madison Young, FTM Trans pornography pioneer Buck Angel, and cross-over/breakthrough star Sasha Grey.
Location: Yale University, SSS 114, New Haven, CT
Info: Sex Week At Yale

February 14, 1:00 pm
Beyond Monogamy: The Case for Open Relationships
New Haven, CT
Relationship and sex expert Tristan Taormino offers a bold new strategy for creating loving, lasting relationships. Drawing on in-depth research, interviews with over a hundred women and men, and her own personal experiences, Tristan explores the real-life benefits and challenges of open relationships in her new book. With her refreshingly down-to-earth style and sharp wit, Taormino argues that we must question the fairy tales and challenge the myths we’ve been taught about love, sex, intimacy, and commitment- only then can we create relationships that are honest, fulfilling, and really work.
Location: Yale University, WLH 208, New Haven, CT
Info: Sex Week At Yale

February 20, 3:00 pm
Rough Sex at CineKink Film Festival
New York, NY
CineKink presents “Bring It!” a showcase of adult industry films, including Rough Sex. Here’s your chance to see a scene from Rough Sex (”Stranded” starring Satine Phoenix and Derrick Pierce) on the big screen! Along with it, see excerpts from Carlos Batts’ Behind the Red Door, Frisk Me directed by Madison Young, Courtney Trouble’s Seven Minutes in Heaven: Coming Out, and Whorrey Potter and the Sorcerer’s Balls from director Dominic Ford.
Location: Anthology Film Archives - Courthouse Theatre, 32 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Admission: Buy tickets here or a Festival all access pass here
Have you seen Rough Sex? Please let others know by rating it or reviewing it, you can comment on the CineKink/B Side’s official page for the movie!

February 26-28
Dark Odyssey: Winter Fire 2010
Washington, DC
Join us for the 7th Annual Dark Odyssey: Winter Fire. This unique event features nationally known presenters, top-notch workshops, infamous special events, incredible vendors, unbelievable playspaces, and an amazing Saturday night dinner banquet and show featuring the Wet Spots. Come. Experience. Ecstasy.
Admission: See website. The earlier you register, the better rate you get!
Info: info (at) darkdodyssey.com

March 4
The Expert Guide to Sex Toys with Tristan Taormino
Denver, CO
Are you looking to liven up solo sex, hit hot spots more easily, or give your partner new sensations? Sex expert, writer, and adult filmmaker, Tristan Taormino, author of The Big Book of Sex Toys, wants to help you use toys and other accessories to take your sex life to the next level! She’ll share her picks for the best lube, vibrators (including compact, clitoral, wearable, insertable, dual-action, and luxury vibes), dildos, strap-on harnesses, butt plugs, men’s toys, G-spot and prostate toys, sensation play tools, bondage, and more! She’ll talk about creative ways to use toys and other sexy goodies to transform your bedroom into an erotic playground. Plus, you’ll be able to ask her all your burning questions in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Join Tristan as she takes you on a tour of all you need to know to have sensational, mind-blowing sex!
Location: Fascinations 2680 S. Havana Street, Suite G, Aurora, CO 80014
Admission: free and open to the public
Info: colten (at) puckerup.com

March 5-7
TRANSforming Gender Conference

Boulder, CO
Tristan will give the Keynote Speech and facilitate a workshop at this annual conference produced by the GLBT Resource Center of the University of Colorado in Boulder.
Info: details to come.

March 11, 7:30-9:30 pm
Advanced Anal Pleasure Workshop
Toronto, ON, Canada
Are you ready to take the next step in anal pleasure? Tristan Taormino, sex educator, adult filmmaker and bestselling author of The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women, is ready to take you there! In this popular workshop, Tristan will discuss many advanced topics, including: the ins and outs of anal penetration; prostate stimulation; anal sex positions; strap-on anal sex; orgasms through anal penetration; extended butt plug wearing; and anal fisting. Plus, there will be an extensive Q&A.
Location: Come As You Are - 416-504-7934
701 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada, M6J 1E6
Admission: $35/per person (Sliding Scale is Available). Pre-registration is required for all workshops. All genders welcome.

March 12, 7:00 pm
Keynote Address
Porn Reborn: New Movements and Markets in Pornography

Toronto, ON, Canada
Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at The University of Toronto and the Sexual Diversity Studies Student Union (SDSSU) present its annual conference, Porn Reborn: New Movements and Markets in Pornography. Tristan will give the Keynote Speech. More details TBA.
Location: Medical Sciences Building, JJR Macleod Auditorium, University of Toronto

I am also headed to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA - see my tour schedule for details!