Saturday, June 6, 2009

On Fire - SpicySexySultry Songs, Stories, Sustenance and more

Welcome. So glad you could join us on this Spicy Summer Sunday. (I apologize to anyone who has trouble loading this - I went a bit happy with the embedding - also, I'm having a hell of a time with fonts - it must be because it's well after midnight). I've got lots of hot songs for you to watch, hot stories to go read, hot (and cold) food to salivate over, and plenty to discuss. Feel free to wander out into the garden to pick some strawberries to nibble on while feasting your eyes. And whenever you arrive, you're right on time!



And here is a not-blurred longer (9:15) video - fast forward to about 1:23 to get to the "good" part.

Grab a beverage - there's margaritas and sangria and plenty of Pacifico in the barrel of ice on the deck. Take a seat. Suddenly feeling a bit horny? Sorry, haha, couldn't resist! I was hoping to find tube socks printed with chili peppers to hand out to the guys, but had no luck. I did find these though! 




Oh, there's snacks set out - some of Trader Joe's Chili Spiced Dried Mango and ike & sam's kickin' cayenne kettlecorn. A Brooklyn friend turned me on to this highly addictive snack food which luckily I haven't seen in my local store (oh, they have other varieties, but not the spicy).

Today we're gonna get hot. With hot chili powder. Also sometimes spelled "chile" - I promise you I'm not going to go into a dissertation on the many varieties of chili peppers. If you want, you can go read about them here. Chili powder, a blend of spices, can be bought or mixed up in your kitchen. We (Mr. Erobintica & I) prefer the hot variety and our kids have grown up with that. Mild? Not around here. If you want to read an interesting piece - Sex and Chiles.

While the BBQ is heating up, how about some hot songs to get us in a summery mood. Here's some of my favorites, songs that get me hot - songs that I crank up when I go pseudo-topless (sunroof open and windows down). I'll embed a few, click on the links to view the others -








Ah, the food's just about ready. I love skewered foods, don't you? ;-)






Grilled Chili Chicken and Fruit Skewers

boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1 inch chunks
pineapple chunks
mango chunks
strawberries

grated rind of 2 limes
2 rounded tsp of hot chili powder
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
tsp of ground
Wrath

¼ cup olive oil
juice of the 2 limes
splash of triple sec


Mix together spice mixture. Mix olive oil mixture. Thread chicken chunks on skewers and fruit (alternating strawberries, mango and pineapple) on separate skewers. Brush all with the olive oil mixture. Heat BBQ. When ready, grill the skewers, turning the fruit carefully (may need to use 2 tongs since the fruit wants to slip off). Once skewers have been turned, sprinkle some of the spice mixture on them - more liberally on the chicken.
Carefully remove the fruit skewers to a plate once there are char marks and the strawberries are soft. Sprinkle with a little bit more spice mixture and leave to cool. Turn the chicken again and sprinkle the 2nd side with spices. Use all the spice mixture. When chicken is done, remove to a plate. Serve with a salad and warm, crusty bread. Instead of chicken you can try scallops or shrimp or even just veggies.


Now that I'm done cooking, I can join the conversation. Surprise surprise, this crowd is talking about erotica. Fancy that! ;-)  Always a juicy subject with us. I know we've talked about who we share our erotica with and last week Donna wondered how much we reveal or hide ourselves in our fiction, especially our sexuality. Pondering that discussion, I had a chicken or the egg question come into my head. As our writing evolves, do we find that our sexuality evolves? Writers are often counseled to "write what you know." But fiction writers often write what they don't know. Nobody really expects a murder mystery author to go out and off someone as "research."  But erotica is different. Yes, many of us like it because we can write about things that we'd never really do in real life. But I think most of us do explore subjects that we're drawn to (whether in actuality or fantasy). I've found that over the years (and yes, I've been writing erotica for many years, just not sharing it with anyone until recently), my writing has mirrored to some extent what my ... interests have been/are/will be. That comes as no surprise really. So, what comes first? The interest or the words?
Hope that's not too personal of a question. Come on, let's not be shy. ;-)

Okay before I get too wordy here, let's bring on the dessert and let the meltingly spicy richness of these truffles contrast nicely with the frozen smoothness of coconut and strawberry. Oh, and please, try some ice wine too. It was a lovely June evening a few years back when I was introduced to ice wine - luckily in blogland, price is no obstacle. It will help loosen our tongues.


Spicy Chocolate Chili Truffles

8 oz. chopped chocolate - preferably 62% cacao or higher
½ cup heavy cream
½ tsp red chili flakes
½ tsp chili powder (chilpotle or whatever your favorite is)
1 TBLS softened butter
cocoa powder for dusting mixed with ground
Wrath

Heat cream to simmer. Remove from heat, add chili flakes and chili powder. Cover and steep for 15-20 minutes. Reheat briefly to simmer and pour through a strainer over chopped chocolate. Let sit a few minutes, then stir gently. Add softened butter and stir. Stir till cooled. Chill till firm, several hours. Shape cherry-sized balls and roll in cocoa mixture. Serve.

Coconut strawberry "ice cream"

One 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 TBLS agave syrup
20 drops liquid stevia
1 cup or so strawberries, cut in halves or quarters and smashed lightly with fork

Pour coconut milk into bowl and stir with whisk to incorporate any congealed coconut oil. Add agave syrup and stevia and stir with whisk to mix. Taste for sweetness. Pour into a small ice cream maker (the small size
ice cream ball or Donvier ice cream maker.

Stir or churn or mix for a bit until the coconut milk is starting to thicken. Add smashed strawberries and proceed with whatever device until ice cream is ready. May serve soft out of maker or let sit in freezer.

Now that we're all sated (gustatorily that is), we can sit back and keep talking, or wander off and read some stories that I found particularly spicy this past week. Alison Tyler always has spicy stories for us - you can read and vote for group sex here or ditch the bedspread here. And over at Aphrodite's Table, Gina Marie (the smutter formerly known as Kirsten Monroe) has another thing coming for us - start here, then continues here. And if that's not enough, just click on any of the links over to the right - those are all smutters extraordinaire. 

Oh, and as if that's not enough! Here's a kinky video over at Agent Provocateur that makes me think of what these blog dinners might end up like some time!

Next Sunday we'll take over Neve Black's place. For the full summer line-up, go here

And sometime this week, I'll have an interview with Randy Lagana (whose artwork has graced this blog for awhile now) - and it is so weird that it worked out perfectly that each of those links goes to a blog post with one or more of his images - I didn't plan that! Here's his surreal Mango On A String.


46 comments:

Craig Sorensen said...

Nicely done, Robin. Lots to linger on!

I'm a huge chile fan. Fresh, dried, powdered, blended. Where I grew up has a large migrant population and spicy food was part of my childhood. But I daresay my tolerance has grown as I've gotten older.

I lace chiles into ramen noodles, sometimes use it in spaghetti sauce and create spice blends that include or feature it. It's an essential ingredient in my homemade barbecue sauce... the list goes on.

Loved the music offerings, and the food looks divine. The spicy chile truffles are just too tempting!

Like you, I started writing erotica many years before I had anything published. Erotica fascinates me because of how the expression (or repression) of sexuality illuminates the characters. We live in a society that still largely subdues open expression of sexuality, and we erotica writers are trying to defy that unwritten "gag order."

The stories I write certainly draw from my life experience in all ways including sexuality. I write about things that interest me sexually, but I also write about things that are not as appealing, or not appealing at all because they are right for the character and illuminate his or her state of mind.

Like my taste for hot chiles, my erotic tastes have gotten spicier with age. I think that erotica writers, by definition, are usually more open to new experiences sexually. Maybe it is the predisposition to write about sexuality that makes us this way, or maybe our openness to explore writing that makes us more adventurous.

And I suppose this is another chicken and egg conundrum. But speaking of eggs and chiles, dust a little pure chipotle chile powder (hot and smoky) along with some ancho (sweet and complex) in cheese omelet. If you like it really hot, lace in some cayenne!

A nice little eye-opener for the party goers who linger through the night, chez Robin.

For now, pass me some of the lovely skewers and a cold bottle of Pacifico!

Verification word: bities. Hmm.

Aisling Weaver said...

Ah, what a way to start the day! Love all the things to read and listen to!

I love chili powder. My husband and I go through astonishing amounts of it, tossing it into chili, bbq sauces, rubs, marinades and so forth. We both love spicey foods. One of my favorites breakfasts is dubbed "spicey hashbrowns". Just cube up some potatoes, toss in a pan with some olive oil. Then apply spices liberally. I usually sprinkle on heavy doses of garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder, then dust with some red pepper for some kick. They generally turn out so hot that you garnish with sour cream to cool the tongue ;)

As for the chicken or the egg. Hmm. I think, in a way for me, erotica came first. I grew up in a household where sex really wasn't discussed. So I "learned" about it from friends and romance novels. Not a good place to learn that stuff!

My first girlfriend exposed me to erotica. And that opened my eyes to a source of knowledge. Erotica didn't paint sex with flowery phrases. It was honest and naked and hot.

So I would definitely say that reading erotica opened my mind to explore new things. But I denied the fact that I wanted to write it for so long. Soooo long.

Now, I think writing erotica is definitely bringing some spice back into my life. It's like I've tinted my glasses, and I see everything through a sensual filter. I'm awake, alive, again.

It's wonderful.

I brought some coffee(it's a touch early for alcohol) and some chili laced hot cocoa(it's actually cool here this morning). Mind if I start with dessert? Those truffles look divine!

Alison Tyler said...

The definitive answer to the chicken or the egg! Fabulous post, E. And even though I am not much of a chef, I'll definitely try to replicate your recipes.

Now, to go rewatch some of those divine videos... I found an old RHC tape the other day. The one with the "super secret song inside." Did anyone else blush red hot when they first heard that?

XXX,
Alison

Erobintica said...

bleary-eyed. was up past 2am doing this - the time post must be when I started - hahahaha (mad laughter)

think I'm gonna go make myself a mocha, and add some of that chili powder (hey, JM, breakfast at your house sounds good).

I will be back later to comment when I'm more coherent.

Donna said...

Wow, Robin, this is FABULOUS! You are truly a hostess extraordinaire. I have to say this chair with the arms is far from painful. It feels kind of nice (I've never been a size queen), especially in tandem with the lovely buzzing red thing you're handing out at the door. Did you get those at Trader Joe's too ;-)?

I'm just going to savor everything here while I ponder your question on the link between spicy writing and spice in my bedroom. And I would also request permission (Mistress?) to start with dessert to go along with my coffee. Would you mind if I tried some of that "Smack My Ass and Call Me Sally" pepper sauce on my chicken?

With all of these hot songs, there has to be tube sock dancing later (I'll listen when the family is up!), but that Kinky Melody video is very inspiring. Mini-hoop skirts for all, and let me be the first to bite into a whole wheel of cheese. That just might make it into a story.

Robin, I think you've stoked my fantasies for some time to come, lol.

Oh, and AT, I'm so glad to have that timeless question resolved, lol!

Erobintica said...

Back. I used the leftover cocoa from rolling the truffles to make our mochas - just a few stray pieces of red pepper flakes to wake up our tongues this morning.

Well folks, you should have seen the stuff I put aside to put in this post that didn't get used! It would have taken hours to read. I do wish I had of had room to add a story excerpt, but maybe I'll add that to a comment later, hahaha. (In truth, I forgot).

Craig, why am I not surprised you're the first one here - though it seems you slept in on this Sunday. ;-) Let's hear it for growing tolerances as we age! Better than the other way around - which sadly seems to be the case for a lot of folks - and I'm not just speaking culinarily.

JM, please, help yourself to a truffle or two or...
It's funny, I can't figure out the chicken or egg thing in my case. It's been back and forth, back and forth. I shall be pondering it as the day goes on.

Alison, that tee is to die for! Oh, and for those of you who aren't familiar with the Super Secret, here ya go. "I want to party..." (umm, nice video too) I've never seen them live yet
:-(
must rectify that one of these days. Been a fan for well, long time. My oldest was a preschooler when I first heard the RHCP. Yeah, that's the preschooler that listened to INXS instead of Raffi.

Donna, I just had this vision of a new chain of stores - Trader Jane's, hahahaha. Sorry, dibs! And dessert first? Yes, please, I've never been one to force anyone to clean their plate before dessert. We have been known to have banana splits for dinner in the summer. Yes, enjoy the music. And I almost pulled a P.S. Haven with the videos (though I see he replaced all the embedding with links). And yeah, I loved that Kinky Melody video - but then, I'm a sucker for pirates.

I'm going out for a walk. Be back soon!

neve black said...

Hey there!
I don't know where to begin, Ms. Robin-bobbin. It all looks fantastic! I think I'll try a glass of sangria and sit down and listen to some music first, with my new best friend: red hot, chili pepper bzzzz...

I love hot chili powder. I'm with you, the hotter the better, baby. Wonderful spread- haha. Yum. Well your hard work is certainly appreciated.

Huh? What do mean, writers of murder mysteries, don't actually commit the murders? You're kidding, right? haha.

Seriously, with exception of this erotic group, I'm one of the most sexually liberated persons in my circle of friends (shocking) - well, at least I think so. I guess you never really know what hot chile's are roasting deep inside someone until you get to know them a little better, right? I sometimes wonder if my friend Q is really a minx after she sheds her Talbots vests and sensible shoes....

And look, IT'S ALIVE! A new story is born, just like (insert snap) that.

I was more interested in the topic of eroticism before I started reading erotica. Wait a minute. Let me think...fuck, maybe not? I did read Anais Nin in high school for the first time - and her words had a profound affect on me. I think my egg and chicken perhaps evolved at the same time.

The psychological makeup of people has always fascinated me. What actually makes a murderer? Why do some people like pain mixed with their pleasure? Does that particular fetish have something to do with why some people like chili powder with um..chicken, for example? Hmmmm....see, it's a huge universe to ponder, isn't?

The fascination with the subject matter has always been brewing inside me. The research on a particular story, or fetish makes my own sexual fetishes (I'll never tell)come out from hiding.

The more I write, the more liberated I become. Does everyone feel that way too? If yes, what about our lovers? Can they keep up with our expanding sexual minds and bodies? That topic in of itself is interesting to me. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did write a story about it too. haha.

I hope my sexual liberation, along with everyone who writes erotica, shines a sexy light on a reader's dark, hidden, sweet spot (s) and it makes them feel more than just okay about liking sex.

Heavy sigh. Mmmmmm....this sangria is muy bueno, Robin-bobbin.

Jeremy Edwards said...

Pass the chilis! I guess I've always liked hot food (I loved fireballs and pepperoni pizza as a kid), and in adult life I've enjoyed figuring out which specific forms of hot pepper seasoning I like, and what particular foods I like to combine them with. (My all-time, all-around favorite chili-pepper condiment is the garlic-enhanced version of Melinda's habanero sauce.)

I think my personal chicken/egg deal was that as I gradually became more attentive to actively exploring my sexual-fantasy inner life (in my twenties and thirties), I became more interested in reading, and then writing, erotica. But exploring the literature and recognizing that, as someone who enjoys writing, I too could take my fantasies in a literary direction, certainly enriched and expanded—and continues to enrich and expand—my inner life.

Great shindig, Robin!!

Donna said...

I've had my coffee and now I'm ready to talk dirty...I mean talk shop. Neve, I agree with you. The more I write, the more open-minded and curious and hungry I become. There's something about honoring my characters, going inside them, that makes me test my own limits. In that sense, writing stories for the themed anthologies has really been a good thing for me. Same with writing from the male POV.

The chicken or egg question is also complicated for me. I've always been interested in eroticism and sex, even though of course, girls are only supposed to think about those things with Their One True Love. I thought I'd found my One, but he dissolved into zero my sophomore year of college. It took me four years to get over my broken heart, but in the meantime, my curiosity was very much alive and well.

I ended up with a boyfriend who I most certainly didn't love, but he made up for that by being a real sport in bed. We tried all kinds of (what I thought of as) kinky things. Bondage, pearl necklaces, role playing, food-n-sex, reading porn together, watching porn together. It was all material for me when I first started writing--an egg of sorts. Funny thing is, I associated sexual experimentation with not being in love.

When I did meet The One, vanilla sex was so good, who needed anything else? Sure, we gradually added dirty talk, a bit of spanking, but the blindfolds and "you're my slave" scenes just didn't feel right.

Then I started writing erotica. My first story involved sex games and I had to do proper research to get the sensations right. For the lofty sake of literature only, I was able to ask my husband to help me out--and yes, our erotic life was immensely enriched. That's why he's always happy to help with a story!

So I guess in a way the writing did come first?

Anonymous said...

Robin, you outdid yourself with this morning's post. Alas, I'm not a big fan of three-alarm chili fires--I tend to be the sissy who prefers a mild simmer. (Well, when it comes to food anyway...) Your recipes are awesome--I'll just have to adjust them a bit.

I always had dirty thoughts, wrote them down a few times, but mostly kept them to myself. Even when I wrote creatively in college, I would write around what I wanted to say if it was in any way sexual. One professor wrote on a poem, "Name the beloved! Tell us exactly what he did! Let the reader feel what you felt."

. . . AND THE DEVIL SMILED

My green eyes
drink in your blue-violet from above.
And your irises explode into
drops of purple fire.
And our rivers couple closely;
drip sweet and warm.
And the sparks
drift to cool
in the wet stain
beneath.
And the night
drizzles in as you fall
into me.
And your sweet sober scent
drugs my soul into peace.


I'm certainly being more specific in my writing for AT's flasher contests but there is still some hesitancy. But forward progress, however small, is still progress.

The weather today is PERFECT for our get-together. I spy a hammock on the other side of the yard. Have I told everyone how much I enjoy naps? Well, I do (as I climb in; swing, swing, swing). Don't mind me if I drift off a little--I can still hear you....zzzzz

cerulean

Erobintica said...

I'm back from my walk - it is gorgeous out today! Perfect weather indeed. As I was walking I was thinking (duh!) about something Craig said.
I think that erotica writers, by definition, are usually more open to new experiences sexually. Maybe it is the predisposition to write about sexuality that makes us this way, or maybe our openness to explore writing that makes us more adventurous.

That "predisposition to write about sexuality" is what is most telling. There are some writers that can write and write and never really touch on sexuality at all, or if forced to by the story, tiptoe around it. Then there are those of us who are quite drawn to the subject.

When I first wrote "erotica," it was in my journal and I was sure nobody else would ever see it. And it felt very transgressive to write about sex that way. And I didn't again for a long time. (Funny, that story has now been published - maybe I am an exhibitionist deep inside). When I started writing poetry again in my 40s, I found that sex started to creep in. I was 44 when I wrote my first truly erotic poem.

But even though the words came late, the thoughts were always there.

Neve, haha, yes, I sometimes wonder about those very staid-looking types - haha, I was one once - quilted vest and all. Now, I want this button! I also wonder (yeah, I wonder a lot) what it would be like if we could talk with our friends in real life about these topics with the ease we can like here - what we would find out. And yes, the more I write, the more open I find myself - less scared.

cerulean - that poem! Is that the one your teacher made that comment about? I love it! One does not always have to "name the beloved" - and hey, I have various versions of poems, some more explicit than others (even when not talking about sex). And hey, welcome to the dirty mind club! And yes, there are hammocks for whoever wishes to sway in the summer breezes.

Erobintica said...

Jeremy & Donna, somehow in my drooling over cerulean's poem I forgot to respond to your posts.

Jeremy - when I first was *reading* erotica, I wasn't always interested in the literary aspects of it, hahaha. But now as I've read more and been writing my own, I find I enjoy some stories immensely just for the amazing writing in them - certain turns of phrasing or the sounds of the words.

Donna - I too find that the more I read and write, the "more open-minded and curious and hungry I become" too. I'm going to think about your comment a bit more.

Erobintica said...

Hi Gina Marie! I love that quote too. I also love good mole, but I've never made it - maybe I'm intimidated - I remember reading the description in that book and thinking "I can never replicate that" - one of these days I will have to try.

Craig Sorensen said...

Jeremy said My all-time, all-around favorite chili-pepper condiment is the garlic-enhanced version of Melinda's habanero sauce.

Hear, hear. I'm a fan of just about all Melinda's sauces, and yes, this is particularly fine.

And I loved Donna's When I did meet The One, vanilla sex was so good, who needed anything else? Sure, we gradually added dirty talk, a bit of spanking, but the blindfolds and "you're my slave" scenes just didn't feel right.

That is so true. The pure exploration of each other is sufficient Such wonderful things grow from this.

Sommer Marsden said...

Wow. So much to look at, R. I must say,though, my eyes (shocking) went right to that vibe. Might have to see about reviewing that ;)

We have a ton of hot stuff in this house ranging from Cayenne to Cock sauce to pickled Habeneros in the pantry to recently doctored hot sauce marked XXX SATAN'S PINKY

As for the chicken and the egg question, i have no answer. i have wondered about it myself. And going back i cannot decide. I've come up with spontaneous combustion.

Wait...that's not right. Spontaneous generation! there. that's better.

I have to try those desserts. the man is not much of a sweet eater but he'll go for those.

back in a bit after i eat so i don't fall down.

xoxo
sommer
p.s. forgot. fabulously hot vids and of course AT's bits. of fiction i mean.

Donna said...

Whoah, cerulean, I love that poem!

"Name the beloved! Tell us exactly what he did! Let the reader feel what you felt." Not necessary in this case, sometimes indirection is intensely erotic, but I'm sure the professor wanted more for his/her own reasons!

Gina Marie--what a great quote. I'll be taking more away from this party than a handful of truffles tucked in my purse ;-). I'm so glad you're still playing with your food.

And yeah, Craig, maybe the emotional intensity is plenty enough for about 17 years. But after that it doesn't hurt to add a bit of chili powder!

Donna said...

Hey, Sommer--"Satan's Pinky" also sounds like the perfect name for a very hot sex toy ;-).

Jeremy Edwards said...

Brava, cerulean!!

Anonymous said...

(Sigh) Okay, so you all made me get up from the hammock and find the original poem from 2004 that the professor commented on. One hard copy was buried in a pile of essays and other stuff. See, I'm still hiding who I really am.

So, (take a sip of beverage, I'm about to read). Here it is:

NAKED ON SATIN

Alone again, naked on satin,
A gentle breeze replacing the tender caress,
Sounds of the night providing the missing rhythm.

Smooth and moist,
Fingertips slowly performing a lover's act,
Memories giving the false presence of another.

Breath catches,
And small whimpers of pleasure escape,
From lips stained with past kissed of desire.

Swallowed up,
In the moment of release,
Over the edge, believing he's there.

Falling, falling...

Alone again, naked on satin,
An icy wind assaulting the pallid skin,
The silence of the night revealing the truth.

---2004

I was writing from memory the professor's remarks. Now that I have them in front of me...1) name names, 2) speak directly to the beloved, 3) be specific, make detail. I don't know. I think I was pretty detailed about the orgasm.

Anyway, the poem I shared before was from a 2007 workshop when a visiting poet came to campus.

Oh my, I dug up all kinds of things when I was upstairs just now, but really, I just want to get back on that hammock and listen to all of you. Thanks for my moment.

cerulean

Unknown said...

Shit, hell of a post, Robin! Nice work.
All hail Steve McQueen. That is all.

Erobintica said...

Back with more cold beverages - it's getting warm - or is it just me?

Sommer - I kind of like the idea of spontaneous combustion - hahaha! Oh, and if you fall down, make sure you're over a hammock! And I agree with Donna - Satan's Pinky sounds like quite the vibe.

cerulean - wow again. I can see where the prof's comments come from, however, not having that info in the poem gives it something - ooh, can't put my finger on it. And hey, we like your moments!

Erobintica said...

Haven, is that all you're going to say? Damn!

Craig Sorensen said...

A man of few words is our P.S. Dexter Haven...

Incidentally, my son calls my Isuzu Trooper Steve McQueen. He (my son) has a strange sense of humor.

I don't know where he gets it from.

Erobintica said...

Passes out some just-picked strawberries, warm from the garden.

Sommer Marsden said...

love strawberries! can eat them till i'm pink in the cheeks (i'll let you figger out which cheeks ;)

[And I agree with Donna - Satan's Pinky sounds like quite the vibe.]

I think i know where that particular vibe would go. Aye Carumba! (is that how you spell that? close as i could get.)

Emerald said...

YUM! I love strawberries, love mangoes, love coconut, love chocolate, and just about everything you're serving up here looks delectable, Robin! Thanks!

Hot Springsteen video, btw. And I love "Hurts So Good"!

Now I must read everyone's comments — I'm going to post this though before I get even more behind lol. I'll be back to answer your question (funny, I was just discussing it last night) when I'm done catching up with the conversation!

Thanks Robin! :)

Emerald said...

Oh warm strawberries... :: drool ::

And I forgot to say — that chili vibrator cracked me up!

Lol also at Sommer's "XXX SATAN'S PINKY." I must admit to joining cerulean in a certain wussi-ness about chili peppers. :) I like some hot (yes, speaking about food ;)), but I've tended to be a little wary of that feeling like my mouth is turning inside out, lol.

Speaking of cerulean, lovely poem! Thanks for sharing! That was for the first one — then I read the next one (about which the professor commented) and found it poignant and also lovely! Funny...I have a poem with satin as a main image too (also in the title), and it seems similar in tone somehow. Mine was not erotic though.

Donna said,
"Funny thing is, I associated sexual experimentation with not being in love."

In my experience this seemed expanded to associating sex with not being in love. This does segue into my answer to the question, which I really was just talking with "Rick" about last night. I feel like there has been an expansion in what I have felt drawn to write about as sexual experience has evolved in me — meaning I guess the experience came first and the writing followed. But it might not be in the way many of you have referenced.

When I first started writing erotica, the above sentiment seemed to be reigning — sex for me had extremely little to do with personal affection or certainly personal love. I did, as I paraphrased from Donna as per my own experience, associate sex with not being in love. Thus I think a lot of the erotica I wrote at that time (not all) seemed to reflect that. As sexuality has evolved in me to include more intimacy and raw emotion (which actually I would say has as much or more to do with evolution in me of those things than specifically sexual evolution), that which I have felt drawn to write about has expanded. When I first started writing erotica, I felt like I almost wouldn't have known how to write about sex in the context of personal love and intimacy. That said, one of my first stories did involve a married couple, and I remember a friend of mine expressing astonishment that I had written about such a thing — seriously. :) It was as though she could hardly believe it occurred to me to write about people who were married or that I would know how, lol.

So while now I don't feel restricted to writing about either one (casual sex or intimate sex — and of course there is no skepticism in me whatsoever that sex may be both simultaneously), that personal evolution seems to have opened doors to my writing about intimacy in a way I feel like I would not previously have known to. It's like there's much more of a realm available to me now in writing. :)

Thank you again for the obvious work, thought, and caring you put into this post, Robin! It is much appreciated here too!

neve black said...

grabs strawberries and truffles. A girl can never have too many options, you know.

Hot chil and poems, wow!

Cerulean, how wonderful! Thank you. I have so much respect for well written poetry.

Gina Marie, Like Water for Chocolate....swoon. One of my favorites. It's so delicious and mystical.

Craig, Lol!
"...Incidentally, my son calls my Isuzu Trooper Steve McQueen. He (my son) has a strange sense of humor.

I don't know where he gets it from...."

I'm really enjoying all the conversations here, Robin. Great party. Thank you.

Isabel Kerr said...

Hi Robin,

This is all too wonderful! Thank you for all this food for thought.

xx

neve black said...

puts sangria down...runs over to sexy hostess, and brazenly asks, "Robin, are the chili pepper vibrators door prizes?" hiccup.

spam word: slogwor. Is it me or does it smell like someone's been doing the slogwor in here?

Donna said...

Wow, cerulean, I love "Naked on Satin," too. But I have to say, I don't see why you have to make the professor's changes. Then again I always say I don't "get" poetry, but what I really don't get is the expert criticism of poetry for the most part. What's at all wrong with what you wrote? Isn't the professor writing a different poem? So s/he should go write that poem and leave yours to be what it is!

I think I need another truffle!

Emerald, your comment got me thinking (as they always do :-) that our culture assumes both sex and the emotional life are a given at birth. We don't need to learn or grow in these areas, they're just there. But of course, it's not true, and I think this is especially highlighted for a writer because our work is evidence--a record--of this change and growth. And our writing challenges us and spurs on on as well. That's back to chicken and egg, I suppose, but if they nourish each other, maybe the answer can blur the boundaries?

And I second the motion for vibrator mementos of this fiery feast!

Marina said...

Um, Robin, I just lurked a few times today - I was a bit scared of your lawn furniture! Damn!

Love the videos! Love the chili vibe! The chicken and fruit skewers are yummy, as is the strawberry coconut ice cream!

About your question: As mentioned before, I had a conservative past - didn't know much about a lot of this stuff until a bit later in life. But, like you said, even though the words came late, the thoughts were there. I started out doing a lot of reading - some of which I liked and some I didn't. I was really glad to have found all of you - such a literate, classy bunch - and, in doing so, found much more to read that I liked and writing styles that I wanted to emulate.

Much of my own writing at this point comes from some little spark in my own experience - an interaction with someone, or a comment overheard, or a feeling. Sometimes it's quasi-documentary, but there's always embelishment, expansion, wishful thinking, etc. The more I write, the more I'm becoming comfortable pushing my own self-imposed boundaries a bit.

Cerulean - both poems are wonderful!
"Swallowed up,
In the moment of release,
Over the edge, believing he's there."
LOVED that!

Robin, I'm going to get some truffles and ice wine and stretch out on the lawn, if that's OK, to listen to more conversation. Thanks for the wonderful party!

Erobintica said...

It's that lazy time of the afternoon - ice wine and truffles sound good to me!

Of course Neve - chili pepper vibes for everyone! Glad they were a hit - they were almost an afterthought - glad I bought in bulk. ;-)

Hi Emerald, Isabel & Marina! Thanks for joining us. Grab a seat or a hammock. ;-)

One of the fears that I've had about writing from a "inexperienced" place is that I'll end up looking stupid (one of the overwhelming fears of my life) - and that has influenced my writing in a limiting way for far too long. Someone/several folks mentioned that Alison's contests act as prompts to push beyond what is part of our experience. Tailoring stories to specific submission calls is another.

I also find that when I wander over into new territory, I then find myself for awhile to be sticking close to home. But then I venture out again.

Alison Tyler said...

It's not a pinkie. But will it do?

XXX,
Alison

Donna said...

Hey Alison,

I agree. The gates of hell have definitely never looked so inviting, lol!

Erobintica said...

Oh my, that is ... devilish - hahaha (sorry, couldn't resist). The Budha's delight is cute. I love the copy on everything. Hahahahaha. I do recall reading about the jackhammer jesus a few years ago.

hmmm, what's that thunder? hehehehehe

EllaRegina said...

Sorry I'm late. I was in Chile.

Erobintica said...

Tierra del Fuego I presume?

EllaRegina said...

Naturally!

Fucking hot as Hell!

Anonymous said...

(Yawn) Oh, the hammock was simply lovely and the conversations wonderful. I love these Sunday get-togethers.

Thanks to all who remarked on the poems. And, thank you Robin for being such a wonderful hostess. It was just what the doctor ordered.

C

Word verification "Celenu" (They do lurk...)

Erobintica said...

oh look - I found a truffle that was overlooked - mmmmmmm.

there seems to be a lot of emtpy chili pepper vibe boxes laying around.

Thank you all for coming over and keeping me company today. It was wonderful. So glad this will continue all summer long! Much better than mowing the lawn or doing laundry - that's for sure!

Thank you all for the lovely conversation - every time we have one of these I find myself wishing it were real.

And thank you cerulean for those lovely poems. I think you might have mumbled under your breath about "having to" write some poems for a class - but those were fabulous - honestly.

Thank you Donna and Marina for getting this going and letting me participate.

See you all around!

Unknown said...

Hey, y'all! Sorry I was so brief earlier. Super-hectic day. My apologies.
Interesting idea about what we reveal/hide about ourselves with our erotica. As far as the chicken/egg conundrum, the smut definitely came first for me. I was writing sexy stories before I ever even saw a nekkid woman in real life. Of course, it took me another decade and a half before I wrote something worth sending out into the big wide world. Even after I saw a couple of nekkid women, the only reasons I wrote stories were a) to get myself off, and b) to make my girlfriends horny and to put ideas in their heads about what I thought we should try. Which would explain why I wrote so many anal stories there for a while...
Anyhow, thanks for a wonderful post, Robin! Very nice!

Craig Sorensen said...

Put in the terms P.S. did, the erotica came first for me too. I did write a little (very bad) erotica when I was pretty young.

As for the "P.S. Dexter Haven," it's a reference to movie The Philadelphia Story which has a character named C.K. Dexter Haven and the Dexter just pops in my head when I see P.S.'s name. Then I started thinking...hmm, that's probably a pretty obscure thing to say.

Not that I ever say odd or obscure things.

Anyway, thanks again to Robin for having us. What an excellent party!

Omelet, anyone?

Aisling Weaver said...

Oh my...I missed all of the party again...at least I got to say good morning before getting whisked away to outdoor chores!

Cerulean - I LOVE your poems. Just gorgeous.

Following the chicken and the egg through bowls of strawberries, chili pepper vibes and sangria, it really is hard to say how that works for me, now. Alot of the things I write pull strongly on the emotional involvement in sexual acts(something hard to do in AT's challenges!) because I've so little experience with casual sex.

I mean none.

I guess I've always equated physical intimacy with emotional intimacy. So a one night stand is something far outside my personality and experience. My husband says it's cause I "mate for life" ;)

And then, after the conversation continued yesterday(I did wander through for refreshments now and again and listen in) I wonder more on the chicken and the egg. I wrote my first story before my first kiss, so I'm thinking the thoughts were always there for me. When I stopped writing stories, I was generally naughty writing letters to my S.O. *grin*

Ahh, omlets, good thinking, Craig! I was just going to whip up some more of those hashbrowns. and I think I've some bananas and yogurt to mix up with the left over strawberries(I was suprised to see any left!) for smoothies.

And of course there's fresh coffee ready too!

Ha! security word "ometypn" (I'm typing)
Ok, ok! Ometypn as fast as I can!

Erobintica said...

Ah, coffee! Thanks JM.

Haven, glad you were able to pop back in. So, the burning question on everyone's mind (okay, at least on mine) is - did they work? the stories? ;-)

Craig, thanks for the omelet - goes nicely with the coffee. So, thanks for the Dexter explanation - though that wasn't a burning question for me. Hey, liked your monday morning story!

JM, no problem! You helped start it off. You probably got enough work done for both of us. I didn't get much done outside yesterday - a little. it got too muggy too fast. And hey, being able to tap into that "emotional intimacy" can certainly lead to some hot writing - just saying ;-)

Well, I'm off to finish my coffee and dig into this omelet and hashbrowns. Yum!

Unknown said...

Indeed the anal stories did work. And work well. Now if I could just get one of those threesome stories to do the trick...
And yeah, I was wondering about Dexter, too. It does have a nice ring to it.