On Sunday I attended a local event, Carnal Carnival. This has been going in during the summer here (North Hollywood, CA) for about 4 or 5 years now. I coordinated the first one years ago, and it’s nice to see it continuing. This year I was vending books, selling sexuality-related titles like “The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe,” “SM 101,” and “The Last Time I Wore a Dress.”

I really enjoy selling books at events like this, but what I like even more is how I get to meet people. Someone will come up to the table and start to browse, and more often than not they begin to tell me very personal things about themselves. I learn about one person’s transition from male to female and another’s realization that he is a Dom and needs to learn how to do be a good and safe one, as well as wanting to know what goes on in a submissive’s head. (If I had that answer, I’d be writing a book!) I get to know people, analyze them to some degree, and I try to figure out what reading material will give them the most happiness, education, and overall experience that they seem to be seeking at that moment. It’s very intimate work, really. In a few minutes I need to read their personality enough to know what titles to recommend. I suppose I could just sell them any old thing, but I not only want them to buy from me again, I want them to remember the experience and hopefully pass it along to others. Besides, I really enjoy it.

My deep gratitude to those who share with me.