“We’re Here To Help” – June 9

We’re Here To Help is an evening of stories by six primarily gay and queer-identifying writers who are (or have been) in the business of sex. Organized by Matthew Lawrence the event is taking place tomorrow (Thursday) evening as part of Q30/30 Days of Queer Arts at 65 Eddy Street (behind City Hall) downtown. The reading starts at 9pm and will feature stories by Audacia Ray, Melissa Gira Grant, Matthew Lawrence, Maria Diaz, Lola D. Sorrow, and Will Vail.

Full performer bios below:

AUDACIA RAY is a former sex worker and current media maker (and shaker). She has blogged about sexuality, culture, and politics since 2004 -including stints blogging for Fleshbot and the Village Voice – and spent three years as an executive editor at the Utne Reader award-winning $pread magazine. She is the author of Naked on the Internet: Hookups, Downloads, and Cashing In on Internet Sexploration and won a Feminist Porn Award for her film The Bi Apple. These days, Audacia is the director of the Red Umbrella Project, which amplifies the voices of people in the sex trade through live storytelling events, media training, and advocacy workshops. Her monthly storytelling series the Red Umbrella Diaries and her blog Waking Vixen were named to the Village Voice’s Best of 2010 list. Learn more about her work at redumbrellaproject.org and audaciaray.com.

Born on the same day as Dolly Parton and Edgar Allan Poe, LOLA D. SORROW enjoys reading, writing, and driving very fast. She is currently studying to become Dr. Queer, Medicine Woman.

MARIA DIAZ is a writer who lives on the Internet. She currently works as a sex toy slinger in marketing at EdenFantasys.com.

MATTHEW LAWRENCE is a writer, curator, event planner and part-time dogwalker. He co-edits Headmaster, the biannual art magazine for man-lovers, and lives in Rhode Island with his dear friend Lady Catterley.

MELISSA GIRA GRANT is the co-editor of Coming & Crying, a collection of true stories about sex. Her work has appeared in Jezebel, Slate, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and $pread. She lives in Brooklyn and on the internet.

WILL VAIL is a blogger currently working as a clerk for a national chain of adult video stores. He is currently working on a hyper-text novel and will soon launch the experimental blog First Chapter.

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