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Looking the part
October 25, 2006
At CineKink this past weekend, I was standing with a colleague when a filmmaker introduced himself to us. When the filmmaker got distracted by another conversation my colleague leaned in and said, “Wow, he really doesn’t look the part of pornographer.” I looked at myself and at him and said, “Do we?” We don’t really, but we are. I mean, I can play up my curves (the same ones which I spent years concealing) a bit, but I still basically look like a slightly naughty librarian. Its part of my charm.
But I look different in pictures - not different from myself, but I look like a nude model, because I am often naked in photographs (hey, the wardrobe is cheap). I’ve been told that I don’t act like a model and I don’t look like a pornographer, but I am both of these things - even though I’m not “like” them. Whatever.
Over the past few weeks my publisher has been pestering me for a promotional photo for the catalog they are about to put out with my book in it. I had a shoot scheduled, and then things changed at the last minute - you know how it is. And then I was freaking out a little bit, scrambling and trying to find an appropriate picture. Whenever I brought this stressful item up with anyone, they would say “what are you talking about? you have hundreds of pictures?” Yes, I do. But my boobs are showing, and that’s not very writerly (despite the fact that in warmer weather I often write with my boobs showing).
It’s kind of stupid - this trying to be like or resist being like something, while all along really not being anything other than me, captured in images in different postures and poses with different degrees of looking “like.” Whatever. I will have a writerly picture of me on my book jacket, with me wearing black. And I will occassionally show my boobs and stuff in other places (like in my most recent set on BellaVendetta.com, shot by Bob Coulter). And through all of it, I’ll be like and unlike and really just do my damn thing.
Posted by Dacia at October 25, 2006 01:26 PM
Comments
You know I spent about an hour trying to figure out the “right” clothes to where and the “right” way to look for the CineKink. In the end I figured Magnum PI (Hawaian shirt and jeans) for the party and work clothes for everything else. At the last minute I decided a haircut was in order.
To my relief, I didn’t feel under or overdressed or out of place!
Posted by: Tony Comstock at October 25, 2006 05:23 PM
I know what you mean about lack of professional photos. So often I have to say to photographers- “yes, your work is lovely. No I will not pose naked for free for you, no matter how pretty the resulting pictures are. I can’t use naked photos for a damn thing”
Posted by: Molly Crabapple at October 25, 2006 10:00 PM
More Bob Coulter photos! Oh how much I want to see them!
Posted by: mister_pj at October 26, 2006 05:03 PM
Some of my favorite photographs of you are when you are wearing clothes which accentuate your curves. Your curves are wonderful.
Posted by: Astrochicken at October 26, 2006 08:57 PM
Kim Stanley Robinson once described one of the characters in “Escape from Kathmandu” as looking like, “the world’s sexiest librarian.” Not only did I instantly know what she looked like, every time she entered the story I got about as turned on as it’s possible to get whilst reading a very, very non-erotic piece of satirical fantasy. :)
M
Posted by: StMarc at October 27, 2006 10:13 AM
I’ve seen some pretty saucy authorly photos, and given the subject matter of the book, I don’t see what’s wrong with a little cleavage. ;)
And as to the real-life-librarian phenomenon…I have a “muggle”, real-life livejournal that has have my real-life friends on it, and there is this meme going around lately where you post a picture that you think is a really beautiful, realistic picture of yourself - one that reflects the way you wish everyone could see you as all the time. And I haven’t participated yet, because the multitudes of beautiful pictures on my site seem almost too glamorous and don’t look quite right. I look like a sexy librarian on it, but in real life, I look like a real librarian - hair piled up on top of my head in a careless bun, eyes hidden way behind my glasses, and swimming in a huge sweater protecting me from the elements. I never worry about being recognized while I’m out. ;)
Posted by: anna at October 27, 2006 10:45 PM
Hi Dacia, I’m agree with you. Of course it’s only your choice how and when to show your boobs. I saw your picks and I can say that you’re beautiful. As I see You have a close relation to sex industry, and I’d like to show you my blog: www.bondage-guide.net. I just want to learn what do you think about D/S life style.
Posted by: Alex at November 9, 2006 05:05 AM
