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Working: My Life As a Prostitute
The candid memoirs of a New York City prostitute. Now in paperback. Dolores French began her working life as a fund raiser and civil rights activist. At the age of 27, she decided to become a prostitute. From New York City to the bordellos of Puerto Rico to Amsterdam's red light district, from courtesan to street walker, French offers an explicit, sympathetic, and illuminating first-hand account of Working. Dolores French was appointed to the Mayor's Task Force on Prostitution in Atlanta, Georgia; she was also a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control's study on prostitution and AIDS. 384 pp 4 1/2 x 7
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 2, 2025
Audacious, prurient, and gossipy. She goes too far with the "happy hooker" narrative. I highly doubt this was all there was to it. But overall, her experiences are endlessly fascinating. I specifically found her time working as a prostitute at the Red Light District in 1970s Amsterdam so interesting.
May 21, 2010
Written by Bernie Weisz Historian Pembroke Pines, Florida e mail: Bernwei1@aol.com Title of Reivew: "Doing the Nimitz was like Mardi Gras and a frat party rolled into one"
Sex, money, and more sex. And there's plenty of it in Doloris French's 1988 book entitled "Working:My Life As A Prostitute". French made no apologies within the 384 pages of this book whereupon she parlayed her high libido into big bucks in the U.S.,the Caribbean and Europe. French wrote that in 1955 when as a little girl she was watching the TV show "I Love Lucy" with her mother in Louisville, Kentucky, the notion of sex for money first gelled. Watching "Ricky and Fred" fall over a beautiful woman while "Lucy and Ethel" angrily scorned her, French asked her mother why the two woman were being so mean to the men for watching this woman's every move. After her mother explained to young Dolores that the woman was a "call girl", Dolores wrote in her book: "That's what I want to be when I grow up!" French preserved the authenticity of this book beautifully, ensuring the anonymity of her clients, madams and fellow prostitutes by using pseudonyms with the exception of Sydney Biddle Barrows, the "Mayflower Madam" whom French briefly worked for in a brief stint in New York. Another book, written by Sydney B. Barrows is an additional resource to gain insight into what Ms. French epperienced. This book is entitled: "Mayflower Madam: The Secret Life of Sydney Biddle Barrows".
Before French reached her twenty seventh birthday, she had worked in telephone sales, as an art director and census taker. Working in an unsatisfying job as an administrator and fund raiser for a small Atlanta based radio station, she met the station's general production manager, named Stephanie. French wrote: "I didn't know at first how someone wearing emerald earrings and a diamond engagement ring fit in at our small station". Striking up a friendship, French found out that Stephanie had a second job: she was a prostitute. French was intrigued, and one day, Stephanie had a "date" that she couldn't keep, and asked French to fill in for her. The night before her first experience as a prostitute, French wrote: ""That night, I lay in bed, thinking about what it would be like to walk into a strange room the next day and have sex with a strange man for money. I had already slept with a number of men I hadn't cared for, for the company or the pleasure or as a favor or just because we were both there. What was so difference about this, I wondered. The money, of course, the "great equalizer" as someone called it".
Dolores French graphically describes this experience, and many others, embarking on a career choice where men were viewed "as prey" for financial gain. French wrote on this experience: "It was over with quickly, and I got dressed. He was delighted to give me money, nearly half my weekly salary. That man treated me with more respect than I had got in most other occupations, and he paid me a lot closer to what my time and my mind were worth. He paid me with a smile on his face...and I was proud to have been able to help him". Due to propriety, it is impossible to describe French's multitude of experiences as a prostitute, which is extremely graphic in "Working". However, Dolores French makes it very clear throughout the book that if a woman enjoys sex, being a prostitute affords her the opportunity to have a lot of it. And if she doesn't enjoy sex, at least she's being paid, and handsomely at that.
Her career takes her from "hooking" at shopping malls in Atlanta to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, taking on all the sailors of the U.S. Warship "Nimitz" in Saint Thomas, and on to Amsterdam, and New York. French also wrote of her appearance on the Phil Donahue show, and explaining to her family the truth of what she did for a living. French also described the tricks of her trade, cataloging her clients as follows: "There seemed to be basically only four kinds of clients-maniacs, druggies, nice guys, and cops". However, there were other clients French also served. French wrote in that regard: "A lot of celebrities call escort agencies. What their looking for is anonymity. A rock star or tennis star or a famous author or politician or athlete wants sexual services but is worried that the person they meet might talk afterward and want more from them, either personally or financially".
Mentioning the famed "Polly Adler" as a trailblazer in the legitimacy of society's need for prostitution, French became "the most public prostitute in America". Although tiring at being asked questions such as how many times she contracted VD or if she felt dirty and degraded, French talked to police officials about prostitutes rights, announcing to the world that a prostitute who was a rape victim should press charges against anyone who committed a crime against her, including her customers. Furthermore, French wrote: "Prostitutes do have some unique problems. like being arrested, and dealing with fear, and dealing with stigmatization, and worrying that their children might be taken away from them". Although never doing "hard time" like other women in her field did, she does have a minor scrape with the law, which she escapes due to fancy legal footwork of her attorney's, one of whom she marries at the end of this book. Whether you are turned off by the vulgarity in "Working", are for or against the legitimacy of prostitution or what side of the fence you sit on in terms of society's "need" for sexual release via prostitution, "Working" makes a very interesting read in a field very few talk about.
Sex, money, and more sex. And there's plenty of it in Doloris French's 1988 book entitled "Working:My Life As A Prostitute". French made no apologies within the 384 pages of this book whereupon she parlayed her high libido into big bucks in the U.S.,the Caribbean and Europe. French wrote that in 1955 when as a little girl she was watching the TV show "I Love Lucy" with her mother in Louisville, Kentucky, the notion of sex for money first gelled. Watching "Ricky and Fred" fall over a beautiful woman while "Lucy and Ethel" angrily scorned her, French asked her mother why the two woman were being so mean to the men for watching this woman's every move. After her mother explained to young Dolores that the woman was a "call girl", Dolores wrote in her book: "That's what I want to be when I grow up!" French preserved the authenticity of this book beautifully, ensuring the anonymity of her clients, madams and fellow prostitutes by using pseudonyms with the exception of Sydney Biddle Barrows, the "Mayflower Madam" whom French briefly worked for in a brief stint in New York. Another book, written by Sydney B. Barrows is an additional resource to gain insight into what Ms. French epperienced. This book is entitled: "Mayflower Madam: The Secret Life of Sydney Biddle Barrows".
Before French reached her twenty seventh birthday, she had worked in telephone sales, as an art director and census taker. Working in an unsatisfying job as an administrator and fund raiser for a small Atlanta based radio station, she met the station's general production manager, named Stephanie. French wrote: "I didn't know at first how someone wearing emerald earrings and a diamond engagement ring fit in at our small station". Striking up a friendship, French found out that Stephanie had a second job: she was a prostitute. French was intrigued, and one day, Stephanie had a "date" that she couldn't keep, and asked French to fill in for her. The night before her first experience as a prostitute, French wrote: ""That night, I lay in bed, thinking about what it would be like to walk into a strange room the next day and have sex with a strange man for money. I had already slept with a number of men I hadn't cared for, for the company or the pleasure or as a favor or just because we were both there. What was so difference about this, I wondered. The money, of course, the "great equalizer" as someone called it".
Dolores French graphically describes this experience, and many others, embarking on a career choice where men were viewed "as prey" for financial gain. French wrote on this experience: "It was over with quickly, and I got dressed. He was delighted to give me money, nearly half my weekly salary. That man treated me with more respect than I had got in most other occupations, and he paid me a lot closer to what my time and my mind were worth. He paid me with a smile on his face...and I was proud to have been able to help him". Due to propriety, it is impossible to describe French's multitude of experiences as a prostitute, which is extremely graphic in "Working". However, Dolores French makes it very clear throughout the book that if a woman enjoys sex, being a prostitute affords her the opportunity to have a lot of it. And if she doesn't enjoy sex, at least she's being paid, and handsomely at that.
Her career takes her from "hooking" at shopping malls in Atlanta to the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, taking on all the sailors of the U.S. Warship "Nimitz" in Saint Thomas, and on to Amsterdam, and New York. French also wrote of her appearance on the Phil Donahue show, and explaining to her family the truth of what she did for a living. French also described the tricks of her trade, cataloging her clients as follows: "There seemed to be basically only four kinds of clients-maniacs, druggies, nice guys, and cops". However, there were other clients French also served. French wrote in that regard: "A lot of celebrities call escort agencies. What their looking for is anonymity. A rock star or tennis star or a famous author or politician or athlete wants sexual services but is worried that the person they meet might talk afterward and want more from them, either personally or financially".
Mentioning the famed "Polly Adler" as a trailblazer in the legitimacy of society's need for prostitution, French became "the most public prostitute in America". Although tiring at being asked questions such as how many times she contracted VD or if she felt dirty and degraded, French talked to police officials about prostitutes rights, announcing to the world that a prostitute who was a rape victim should press charges against anyone who committed a crime against her, including her customers. Furthermore, French wrote: "Prostitutes do have some unique problems. like being arrested, and dealing with fear, and dealing with stigmatization, and worrying that their children might be taken away from them". Although never doing "hard time" like other women in her field did, she does have a minor scrape with the law, which she escapes due to fancy legal footwork of her attorney's, one of whom she marries at the end of this book. Whether you are turned off by the vulgarity in "Working", are for or against the legitimacy of prostitution or what side of the fence you sit on in terms of society's "need" for sexual release via prostitution, "Working" makes a very interesting read in a field very few talk about.
November 12, 2022
Well written, honest, and informative book about the business of sex work.
November 21, 2020
More engrossing than I anticipated. Dolores French took time to pamper her clients. She gains spiritual restoration for sleeping with the rejected members of society. I think she perceives the people in her profession as healers. But she pushes that resolute hygiene cannot be negated.
She gives advice on sexual conduct through the details of her encounters.
Surprised this woman hasn't reemerged.
She gives advice on sexual conduct through the details of her encounters.
Surprised this woman hasn't reemerged.
October 13, 2024
Although it does conform to the happy hooker narrative, this book is super interesting because it depicts sex work in a variety of sectors and geographic locations in the 1970s and 80s.
November 16, 2023
A little dated, but very interesting! Highly recommended. Written so well. Found this book at a train station in the middle of nowhere, glad I picked it up.
February 5, 2019
It seemed to be an honest accounting of her life and the choices she made. I find the intensity with which women delude themselves interesting, sad and important to understand for our evolution. I felt the same way with Jenna Jameson memoir except her story and choices were even more intense.
July 30, 2013
I really liked the book as a read BUT to this day (I read it some years ago) I think it might have been candid but not entirely honest. I found her account of that part of her life where she is working in a brothel in Amsterdam (something I know a little bit about without ever having actively participated myself) particularly glossed over and it being more than half way through the book, I found myself questioning whether French had been deliberately sanitising certain aspects along the way in order to make her point that prostitution should be legal.
June 23, 2009
boring badly written and French seemed to try to convince the reader that she never actually performed sexual services for money, but rather she is so beautiful ( clearly isn't from her jacket photo) men just threw dollars at her for her 'company' to talk?? Her words left me cold & with out her 'ghost writer' she'd have never gotten a deal.
Want to read
June 24, 2016The candid memoirs of a New York City prostitute. Now in paperback. Dolores French began her working life as a fund raiser and civil rights activist. At the age of 27, she decided to become a prostitute. #autobiography
March 16, 2008
This book is amazing, interesting, funny, eye-opening, and faboo.
September 19, 2018
Pretty good but incredibly dated.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews