There's an inherent kind of self-denial, the subject of The Handyman of West Texas, identified only as Mickey, said in a recent interview. We all have these thoughts. But we lie to ourselves and try to conform to how you're supposed to be repressing your own pleasure.
When the people who are after me get here, they'll arrest me and put me on trial, or they'll disappear me to some black site. Or they won't bother with any of that and they'll just kill me. All of these seem like plausible outcomes, but in the novel's prologue, the narrator seems much more confident of her success: I am a fucking genius, a gorgeous fucking genius, and the only thing left to do is sit down and write.
As a result of multiple disabilities, my wife may never be able to have sex with me again, or at least not for a long time. She always had a low libido, but recent developments have made sex actively difficult and unpleasant for her. I love my wife and do not wish to divorce her, but this presents a problem for me, because I have a very active libido.
If the internet began as a dream of a decentralized network, why would a history of it stick to the center? Mindy Seu takes this idea to heart in A Sexual History of the Internet. A synthesis of artist book, historical study, and performance piece, the project looks to cyberfeminists, sex workers, and others who have shaped online culture from the margins.
In A Sexual History of the Internet(2025), artist and researcher Mindy Seu proposes a different kind of archive: one that maps how bodies, desires, technologies, and systems of power have been entangled since the earliest days of our beloved web. Rather than frame this research through a traditional academic text or media theory, Seu retools the publishing format entirely, intentionally delivering the project as part performance, part artist book, and part financial experiment.
Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (Joao Pedro Mariano) finds himself at a crossroads; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others. On an evening out with his rowdy group of queer and non-binary friends, Wellington crosses paths with Ronaldo (Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the flickering glow of a neon-lit porn cinema, their first meeting is sensuous and erotic, with an edge of danger.
There are plenty of people who have years of training in tantra, and who practice a very different style than I do. But for me, it's a combination of tantric techniques and bodywork that creates a fun, sexy experience, mostly for people who want to get off. This involves sharing a very intimate, close space with someone. They're fully naked, I'm partially naked, there's relaxing music playing, and we sort of "connect" or "exchange energy" before jumping into the massage.
I started when I was 17, long before the term "sugar baby" or "rent boy" even existed. I was at university, and I had a scholarship for my education, but I had no housing or food. I was 3,000 miles away from my family in an unfamiliar city. I had no resources to lean on. I found myself really struggling.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed strong opposition to Zohran Mamdani's push to decriminalize prostitution, emphasizing the religious and ethical implications of the issue. He stated, "I can't be more clear. I'm a man of God, just as Mamdani says he's a Muslim. I don't know where in his Quran it states that it's ok for a woman to be on the streets selling their body." Adams views Mamdani's stance as neglecting the serious issues of sex trafficking and safety for vulnerable populations.
Relationship dynamics can become complicated when dealing with societal judgments surrounding a partner's profession, especially in sensitive roles like sex work which may elicit discomfort from family.
Ultimately, Byron's experience highlights a complex intersection of gender identity and exploitation, capturing both the struggle for self-understanding and the grim realities many young people face.
