Susie Bright's Sexual State of the Union [Hardcover]

Susie Bright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 1997

A close-up look at the most important sexual issues of modern American society examines such topics as sex online, the private lives of political candidates, abortion, AIDS, V-chips, teen pregnancy, and more, calling for a freer, more honest understanding of human sexuality. 75,000 first printing. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In a culture that seems bent on telling us that sex is wrong while at the same time using it to sell us cars and cigarettes, Susie Bright is a breath, no, hurricane of fresh air. Bright--who started her public life with the nom de plume of Susie Sexpert--is intent on telling us that talking about sex isn't just good, it is mandatory for emotional sanity and happiness. Bright is forthright, honest, and amazingly cheerful about sex. No topics are taboo and she speaks from personal experience as well as from her own extensive research. Sexual State of the Union is filled with good news, good advice, and good sense.

From Library Journal

Famous lesbian and "sexpert" Bright, editor of On Our Backs magazine and books like Best American Erotica (LJ 9/15/93), has put together a set of disparate essays on disparate topics, bouncing from censorship to cybersex to motherhood to S&M and back again. This would be fine except that the essays are also uneven in tone; some are thoughtful reminiscences about her experiences, both sexual and not; some are insightful analyses showing that people of both sexes and all ages need sex education; and one is just a list of questions asked by college students. Despite the irregularity of her writing, Bright's unvarnished truthfulness shines through. She obviously wants readers to understand where she's coming from and what she has experienced. Recommended for most public libraries because of Bright's popularity and candor, this also deserves a space in academic women's studies collections.
-?Pamela A. Matthews, Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1ST edition (March 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684800233
• ISBN-13: 978-0684800233
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,024,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm an author, editor, publisher, performer, sex and culture critic, teacher, seamstress, and pumpkinhead.

I live in Santa Cruz, CA.

My blog is: http://susiebright..com.

My weekly show on Audible:
"In Bed With Susie Bright": http://www.audible.com/susiebright

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A most educational and enlightening book, January 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sexual State of the Union (Paperback)

This thought provoking and sometimes shocking book came highly recommended and I pass on the same sentiments. Though always interested in expanding my consciousness, I was little prepared for the giant leap I would take with each page. Susie Bright speaks intelligently from personal experience about such topics as pornography, gender, and sexuality. She provides the reader with radical yet believable interpretations that make you want to go out and explore for yourself. She brings together the human experience to which we are born, with the secret desires and fantasies we all possess, slowly unveiling the masks we hide behind. A must read if you are ready to explore your own sexual identity and biases.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Witty, Somewhat uneven..., October 25, 2005

By 

S. Seaman "hypocritical critic" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sexual State of the Union (Paperback)

This book was interesting, provocative, in some places well-researched and in some places utterly fluffy. Don't get me wrong. I Love Susie Bright. I just felt like it needed more editing to make it a more cohesive piece.

But the writing is excellent, and what could possibly be more interesting as subject matter? It was fun, and her conversation with a trans friend will certainly shake up a few readers (I couldn't decide if she was being insightful or wildly insensitive).

Recommended further reading: For a solid, well-researched history of sex in America this century, read Heidenry's "What Wild Ecstasy: The Rise and Fall of the Sexual Revolution". For utter provocative gall, amazing insight and some very surprising facts, read Levine's "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children From Sex". Both of these were riveting, less fluffy and better edited than "Sexual State of the Union". But they all seem to speak from the same base: a fundamental understanding of the importance of both sex and free speech in our society.

4.0 out of 5 stars The Sexual State of the Union Review, February 2, 2012

By 

Amy O - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sexual State of the Union (Paperback)

Susie Bright's, The Sexual State of the Union is an ideal combination of sexual politics, and personal experience intertwined within each other. Unlike many other books that deal with sexual politics, Bright is not trying to lecture or persuade her audience, she just tells it like it is from her eyes. Her opinions are evident and she does a good job of introducing a political topic and describing how exactly this not only had an effect on our country but also how it affected Bright and her friends personally. It differs from other personal memoirs in that she brings up wider issues that were taking place in the country throughout her life time and not always makes it personal, even though the personal segments are very entertaining to read. They are informative and give advice to the younger generation and shows that even though times are different, relationship and sexual questions are forever existent. This is the type of book that anyone can pick up and read and even if they don't agree with Susie's opinions, her stories are interesting and and lined with humor most of the time. It is evident that Bright, while a firm believer in her politics, has a great sense of humor and really enjoys reaching out to her audience and pushing them to think about topics they would not have otherwise come across. Sexuality in any form is extremely taboo in the United States and Susie uncovers reasons for this and the effects this has on different pockets of our society.