OPEN: AN EROTIC JOURNEY

Words by fayemi shakur | Images by Akintola Hanif, George Pitts, Timothy Ivy, Sara Banevedes and Saddi Khali

When I first started writing erotica, I was sensitive about who I told. Maybe I was afraid of judgment. The reactions I receive from people are always interesting. Some people get excited and are very encouraging. Others look at me with a raised eyebrow like I’m a freak. Being the rebel rouser I can be sometimes, I enjoy challenging the notion and culture of respectability when it comes to sex.

Why do some people find erotica so off-putting? Erotica is more than freak nasty stories and pictures by people with dirty minds. And it’s better than your average “she came over and asked for a cup of sugar” sex writing. As the editor of OPEN, a new erotica journal, I’ve given much thought to the difference between erotica and porn.

In an interview with my co-editor Michael A. Gonzales, master erotica writer and editor Carol Taylor broke it down like this:

“I think erotica tells a more complete and realistic story that is relatable and believable, while porn is more one-dimensional, and geared to quick stimulation. Porn stimulates the body, while good erotica stimulates the mind and the body.

[Erotica] blurs the line between sexual and sensual…some of the stories have no sex in them at all. They are so evocative and sensually written and the idea of want, desire and lust so beautifully rendered, that writing a sex scene would have been redundant.”

Erotica has a long history. Michael introduced me to 18th-century French poets like Charles Baudelaire. I began reading the writing of Anaïs Nin, existentialist philosopher, Simone de Beauvoir and Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power by Audre Lorde. But there aren’t many erotica publications produced by people of color. So I figured I’d create my own platform, with help from my great friend Michael, to create a space to share the work of other talented artists.

Why? Because if we don’t share this work, it collects dust on the micro-chips in our computers and coffee stains on scribbled paper and notebooks. I have so much respect for artists who are courageous enough to explore these topics.

OPEN was created to promote sex positive healthy dialogues about love, sex, intimacy and desire. In addition to short stories and poetry by Greg Tate, jessica Care moore, Miles Marshall Lewis and others, with photo direction by HYCIDE editor-in-chief Akintola Hanif, OPEN showcases the work of four photographers – George Pitts, Saddi Khali, Sara Banevedes,Timothy Ivy and two visual artists. Kevin Darmanie shared a tribute to Italian comic book writer and artist, Paulo Serpieri, who is best known for his erotic illustration. The diverse contributors provided a great range in all the ways erotic creativity can be demonstrated in art and literature.

I hope connecting erotica with existentialism, philosophy and spirituality will raise our awareness of the ever evolving parts of ourselves as human beings including our sexual selves. When we deny or repress these things, we deny a natural part of who we are. With the shift from the Piscean Age to the Aquarian Age taking place, I figured it was a good time to get OPEN for real.

To preview the journal visit the OPEN website and subscribe to our private mailing list for monthly updates, interviews, fun findings and future calls for submissions.