A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of interviewing Felice Newman, co-founder of the innovative book publisher Cleis Press, for SeXis magazine and found myself feeling lucky that I came of age in the time I did. Felice and I talked about feminism in the 70's (Cleis published their first book in 1981), the politics aof the past few decades and the expansive creativity and openness of the 90's. Cleis took that particular brass ring and ran with it, giving us authors like Susie Bright and Pat Califia, hugely popular collections of gay, lesbian and women's erotica, how-to's like "The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex" and cultural eye-openers like "I Am My Own Wife: The True Story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf" about a man who got through World War II Europe as a cross-dresser.
Cleis continues to bring that vibrancy with an eagle eye for the edge and a willingness to go there in style. I hope you get a chance to read the story and meet Felice - I walked away smarter and more energized for having done so. Enjoy!
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