FULL EXPOSURE

An unfocused, blistering rant about sexual issues near and dear to the author’s heart. Bright, a regular columnist for Salon magazine and a popular writer and lecturer on sex (Susie Bright’s Sexual State of the Union, 1997), wants to argue here that “sexuality is the soul of the creative process, and that erotic expression of any kind is a personal revolution.” Readers unfamiliar with Bright will find it difficult to glean a clear message here except that it’s essential to be public about all aspects of one’s sexuality. Her “erotic manifesto” demands that we talk about sex, that we understand “the personal meaning of erotic expression: the creativity it demands, the challenges of sexual candor, and the rewards of coming clean about desire.” Those who would rather keep certain aspects of their lives to themselves are liable to feel under attack here (“Was the issue privacy, or was it sterotyping, having your identity defined by others?”, she asks an elderly lesbian aunt who refused to discuss her sexuality with Bright). Bright’s abrasive and forthright, if not confrontational, style (“a woman dieting is a woman not having orgasms”) may turn off readers who don—t see sexuality as the foundation of all creativity in their lives. Only for those who are already Bright fans. (Author tour)