Full Exposure: Opening Up to Sexual Creativity and Erotic Expression

by Susie Bright

Hailed by Utne Reader as "a visionary" and the San Francisco Chronicle as "the X-rated intellectual," Susie Bright is indisputably the sexpert of our times. Now, in a frank and intimate look at our own erotic experience, she delves into the most personal aspects of sex and shows us how our sexual passion can be a source of creativity and inspiration. By her own example and insight, she helps us to discover our own erotic story and sexual philosophy.

Genres: Sexuality, Nonfiction, Feminism, Psychology, Anthropology, Womens, Cultural Studies

176 pages, Hardcover

First published July 22, 2003

About the author

Susannah "Susie" Bright (also known as Susie Sexpert) is a writer, speaker, teacher, audio-show host, performer, all on the subject of sexuality. She is one of the first writers/activists referred to as a sex-positive feminist.

Reviews

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susie is a masterful advocate for all things sexy. I enjoyed getting to know her more through this free-form, lengthy personal essay... though the book jacket is a little misleading. This volume is not the workbook-style I thought it would be. It's more akin to Marianne Williamson's A Woman's Worth in style -- a partly autobiographical exploration of the author's vision of creative freedom and abundant life for everyone. It reads like a very encouraging conversation over coffee, often stepping sideways through the interrelated topics that she finds most important. Though I didn't always follow Bright's writing technique, or agree with her conclusions, I found the experience of reading the book more than worthwhile. There is value in the ideas and experiences she has stirred in me, the new vocabulary she gave me, and the wisdom she shares from a long career advocating body wisdom and the celebration of erotic power.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must-read for anyone working with sex as a topic of writing, thinking, scholarship, or activism. I wish it was longer. But I also love how many times Bright writes snappy summations of American problems with sex and sexual expression. Brilliant!

[Bakari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any writer who is able to write intelligently about sex gets at least four stars from me. When is the last time you read in any book or magazine, the following: “There is only one “secret” to prolonging one's erection before climbing, it is common to every corporate limits by: masturbation.”? This is an example of the kind of forthright insight that you find throughout many of Susie Bright’s twenty essays. Bright is one of the few writers today that I know of anyway who talks openly and honestly about sex, erotica, porn, and related topics. Though I know she has her own website, if she hasn’t been writing for sites like Huffington Post or the New Yorker, she should be.

Bright discusses a range of topics and issues, but I think the central theme seems to deal with sex and creativity–that is, how sex can be a source of creative energy and expression. However, many us can’t connect with sex and creative expression in this way mainly because of our culture’s denials about sex, and our inability to have real discussions concerning our libido.

Some of her essays are a little self-centered; I often wish she wouldn’t discuss sex as if it existed in a vacuum. In other words, many of our culture’s sexual prohibitions are also situated in the political, religious, and economic spaces in which we live. Though she has been a political activists, I wish a couple of her essays talked about sex in relationship to overall politics and economics of society. I think many of use suffer from political and cultural alienation which has a great influence our negative sexual behaviors and views.

Nevertheless, I was looking forward to reading this book—having read a previous anthology, Best Sex Writing. I have say that she has inspired me to write about my own sexual experiences and views, which is something more of us should do, including young adults.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read that had some good insight into the culture that we've created around sex and how much it limits our sexual expression.

[Yu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found more personal stories rather than theoretic findings. I would say it will be the rare book that movie is the better one.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected! I had bought this book years ago on a whim and decided to discard it on a online bookswap site, and just when i was supposed to mail it away I decided to read part of it. Hysterical! I ended up cancelling the swap and keeping the book because it is just so odd and interesting and silly at the same time! Bright writes very well, makes taboo subjects approachable and open to discussion.

[Tai Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable and empowering series of writings that delve into the author's own opinions and experiences of sex and sexuality; particularly her experiences as a sex expert and educator. For the most-part, I found it to be fairly engaging with a handful of real gems of advice and insight that anyone seriously exploring their sexuality should take on-board. However, I did find the tone and style of it to feel like somewhat of a series of lengthy blog or social media posts that made me question whether an entire book was really necessary? But if you don't mind the 'social media rant' approach to it, and you need a bit of a pick-me-up in your sexual journey, then I'd still very much recommend it.

[Stephanie Kreiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in 1999 but could have been written today. The author writes very creatively. And interestingly she pairs creativity with sexuality. I enjoyed most of what she writes about except politics.

[Gamal Hennessy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started strong and finished profound, but the middle felt wandering and unfocused.

[carmoucm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my introduction to intentional radical self love.
I
The content veers away from general approval of sexual expression to hints of the authors painful childhood or other vignettes of lovers and foes. I have since read Mating in Captivity, An Anatomy of Arousal and Come as You Are. These are my current preferred Sexual Self Discovery textbooks.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I started this book, I really expected to love it. The opening passage - like many throughout - is a deliciously quotable statement on eroticism. But it establishes a high bar that the full text unfortunately fails to meet. Bright's essays are articulate and engaging, but they deliver very little that is new or memorable. In that sense, it's good that her eloquence compels so much quote-flagging. Without a record to return to, even the more powerful passages would likely fade into oblivion. File under: "I know I read that at some point, but..."

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Susie. I so enjoy your narrative voice, even if you use an excess of scare quotes. However, this book was just too scattered. You ask some good questions! But then, you just ask other, pretty unrelated questions. So I can't really remember what the book was about, exactly. However, you are invited to brunch at my house any old time.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be re-reading this book again and again. Who needs therapy when they can find good feminist literature?

I consider myself fairly self-aware but this book will help me improve in areas I never considered before.

I don't know how else to review this book but it will definitely help save my life. =)

[Mary Mski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uhm why haven't I read Susie Bright before? I think it's my bratty contrariness because more than one friend has recommended her writing. In any case it's delightful to discover this collection of essays on sexual creativity. Good to read alone or with a friend.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am happy to report that this book helped me learn to use Amazon's free Kindle app for Chrome, and that the experience did not suck! Yay for new ways to read! Also, Susie Bright is still made entirely out of awesome.

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is smart. bright links our personal erotic/sexual lives to the political and envisions a world free of judgment and violence. i found this book very inspiring and empowering. there are some parts that are slightly dated, but overall a message a lot of people need to get.

[Allison Thurman]

library

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah-mazing! I love Susie Bright. I thought this would be a workbook, but it was still great.

[wheels · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's the only Susie Bright book available at the Santa Fe public library.

[Jeff Youngstrom]

my review

[seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't love but found sections interesting.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this while I was on a sex positive book stint. It felt more dated than the 1999 publishing date. I remember it feeling like an angry and bitter rant about sexuality in our culture.

[M. Jane Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate to call any book mandatory reading... but I think this one is.

Just stellar.