Full Exposure: Opening Up to Sexual Creativity & Erotic Expression

Bright (The Sexual State of the Union) uses the topic of sexuality as a way to promote a larger self-help philosophy of empowerment. She says, ""Sexuality is the soul of the creative process,"" one with revolutionary and transformative potential. Bright, a public performer as well as a columnist for Playboy and the Web's Salon, weaves her own personal experiences into an extended pitch for bodily liberation and feminist enlightenment. She starts by giving a portrait of her own ""personal erotic identity."" This includes a healthy discussion of the role of fantasy--heterosexual, gay and S&M. More earthily, she discusses child-bearing and parenting. Best, though, is Bright's gift for slinging outrageous phrases, as in her discussions of ""overgeneralized heterosexuals"" or ""libido storms."" Her persona is uncanny: she sounds earnest, helpful and American-as-apple-pie even when using profanity to prove points about sexual stereotyping. On tape, her message comes across as intimate, real and convincing. Simultaneous release with the Harper San Francisco hardcover. (Oct.)