Review: Insightful Stories from a Unique Voice
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 29, 2012
I've been following Tara Burns through her blog for years, so I was super excited to see this collection of some of her best writing available in a more portable format. The Prologue to this book is one of my all-time favorite essays, and the further stories are perfect gems of her experience as a highly-intellectual, extremely caring, and endlessly fascinating sex worker. I look forward to further installments.The book suffers from some common minor problems for bloggers-turned-authors. There's a certain lack of continuity between chapters, and I wonder if it would have been better to present each piece as an independent essay rather than a chapter in an ongoing story. There are some editing oversights, and an occasional confusing mixup between which name is being used for people with pseudonyms. These details detract only very slightly from what is otherwise a really unique and intelligent voice with a worthwhile and compelling story to tell.Burns' stories will make you question your assumptions about sex workers, as she presents an emotionally nuanced world very different from the mainstream story about prostitution. A great read well worth your time.