Each year we receive all manner of literary entries from authors, poets, scriptwriters, and journalists. Then our Literary Curator reads through the submissions to create the Seattle Erotic Art Festival Literary Art Anthology. We are honored to have Claire Dietrich return as the Curator and Editor, and grateful to October Joe for granting permission to use the piece “Book Club” for the cover of the 2021 anthology. (Which is on its way to the printer!)
Literary Master of Erotic Art
This year we induct our first Literary Master of Erotic Art: David Lee Jones. David is a poet and spoken word performer who has been involved with SEAF since 2005. His poetry is equally raw and elegant, often combining the erotic and the political. If you are a fan of the Writer’s Wanderlust art tours during the festival, you have heard his reaction pieces to the selected visual art at SEAFs past.
Literary Artists of the SEAF 2020 Anthology
Anna Staal (they/them) “I am a dreamer, depressed, in love, perpetually striving for something beautiful. I have lived all over Washington and Southern California, and my heart is most at home on the coast. I’ve lived with a terror of deep water my whole life, ironically finding my greatest peace in the ocean.”
Barbara Wallen (she/her) Writer, Kinkster, Autist, Artist. Barbara is passionate about art in all its forms, often finding herself awake at odd hours taunted by images of metalwork to be wrought, or by trite and pithy phrases to be jotted down in the night’s half-light to be worried over at more alert hours. She is active in PNW kink and leather communities when life allows.
Bill Wolak (he/his) is a poet, collage artist, and photographer who has just published his eighteenth book of poetry entitled All the Wind’s Unfinished Kisses with Ekstasis Editions. His collages and photographs have appeared recently in the 2020 International Festival of Erotic Arts (Chile), the 2020 Seattle Erotic Art Festival, the 2020 Dirty Show in Detroit, the 2021 Rochester Erotic Arts Festival, the 2018 Montreal Erotic Art Festival, and Naked in New Hope 2018.
BlackLight (all respectful pronouns) can perhaps be described as a defiant, volcanic force of Nature’s creation, wearing the body of a brown-skinned catalyst clad in clothing he created (literally), and bursting with perpetual inspiration and enthusiasm to match. He’s a human, alien, angel hybrid art-filled being unafraid to cackle in public, with a laugh infectious, and the power to wield hugs like high-powered disarmament techniques. He is determined to spread as much love and joy, and create as many different works of art in as many mediums as he can, detonating spirits along the way and leaving trails of empowering, inspiring experiences in his wake, like a spirit boat on this lake of existence.
Cassidy Aquilino-Berg (she/her) is an artist, author and queer witch living a hedonistic life in the Pacific Northwest. Her work explores queer lust, eco-sexuality, and the magick of sex. Through painting, poetry, dance and interactive art she expresses a range of tone from romantic to straight up vulgar.
Catherine Nielsen (she/her) has enjoyed writing ever since she was little. She began writing embarrassingly depressing poems in middle school and they have continued to be a cathartic outlet throughout her adult life. After getting divorced in 2018, she began to explore the kink community and started writing erotic poems and short stories. Catherine’s favorite food is peanut butter toast. In her free time, she enjoys wearing latex clothing in public with her partner and their friends whenever she can. She has definitely become a latex whore. Evidence of her latex adventures can be found on Instagram – @meowkittykat5.
Claire Dietrich (she/her) is a wandering artist of different mediums, currently based out of Poulsbo. Claire’s mediums include egg art, scratch art, paper crafts, fabrics, and paints of various types. She travels the world and is inspired by different interpretations of sexuality.
Clea Salar (she/her/that bitch) & Tallis Salar (he/him) Clea is a bi, sassy freelance writer who spends most of her days glaring at her computer in between bouts of actually writing. Tallis is a straight, laid back data analyst by trade who spends all his free time playing games, planning games, and oh yeah, occasionally writing. They both enjoy video games, bubble tea, and naughtiness.
d. jones (he/him) David Lee Jones was born in Wheatcroft, Kentucky in 1955. He is a product of the turbulent 50’s and 60’s in rural southern United States. David performed with the Floating Mountain Poetry troupe and Little Red Studio where he was a long time member. He resides in Tacoma on a small urban farm with his wife and chickens and a cat.
Gene Clements (he/him) “I’m excited to participate in the SEAF for the eighth consecutive year! Most of my drawings, sculptures, and etchings include figures and, more often than not, groups of figures in erotic situations. Since retiring, I’ve been writing erotica as well, primarily short stories about older adults for whom lovemaking is a joy and sometimes, a comedy.”
Laurence Klavan (Mr.) has had short work published in many magazines and journals, with stories forthcoming in Sweden, Portugal, and England. Laurence has had collections of stories, novels, and graphics novels published, and is a two time recipient of Drama Desk nominations and a winner of the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Laurence’s one-act, “The Summer Sublet,” is included Best American Short Plays 2000-2001, and the one-act, “The Show Must Go On,” was the most produced short play in American high schools in 2015-2016.
Lyssandra Norton (she/they) is a pacific northwest artist of varying forms. She is a produced playwright, published author, back up model, and all around ready to be a part of cool things.
Marie Freulon (she) is a French-African-American poetry lover. Marie’s literary is mainly prose. Sentiment is essentially what her writing is made of.
Ophir Reader (he/him) is an erotic writer in the Pacific Northwest. Ophir is passionate about the power of the written word to open imaginations, and erotica in all its forms. Ophir welcomes feedback, and can be reached through social media.
Pomegranate Muse (she/her) creates out of her home studio in Gilbert, AZ. She is self-taught and has been a passionate creator from the time she was old enough to hold a crayon. As a neurodivergent artist, she delivers a distinct experience and perspective otherwise imperceptible to neurotypical viewers.
Randy Hilfman (he/him) In the realm of erotica, Randy Hilfman has published poetry: “The Cunnilingus Chronicles” and “The Cunnilingus Chronicles: Paradise Revisited; essays: “In Praise of Cunnilingus” and “My Sexual Odyssey: A Father’s Reflections”; and numerous crossword puzzles. A formerly prominent competitive speller, Randy has taught several classes on language.
RM Blake (no pronouns) is a pen name, which keeps the author’s identity, age, race, gender and sexual preferences private. RM is a collective voice of love, passion, empathy, and understanding. The author wishes each reader to approach the author’s literature with an equally open mind. That being said, RM would love to hear from you. rmblake at artbz.bz
Shane Guthrie (he/him) grew up in the Pacific NW. Spent a year in Ireland. Loves the green. Poet, dancer, painter, gardener.
Terry Johnson (he/him) led a linear life until he meets a muse who altered his life opening, his mind to find a non-linear and creativity that had been hidden for years. He has embraced this new creative freedom in his writing and painting by letting his thoughts, ideas and emotions flow unrestricted to the paper and canvas.
Tiana Marie (they/them) is a non-binary artist who explores intensities through hook suspension and BDSM. Not only do they create with their body, they write their truths as catharsis. They self published their first book, Let The Crimson Flow, a menstrual memoir. As a forest creature, the Pacific Northwest is their new home.
zenKOAL (she) is a tactfully uncouth contextual contortionist ever translating chaos into pleasurable aesthetics. A patroness of the Sacred Feminine and mystical properties of sex, she tests and eclipses convention through various expressive mediums as a poet, performance artist, and experimental musician.
Zoe Brook (they/them) is a queer writer living near Seattle. They write novels and short stories frequently involving queer romance, fantastical worlds, surrealism, and sexiness. Their work has been published Queers Who Don’t Quit edited by G Benson, and Seattle Erotic Art Festival’s Literary Anthologies 2018-20, among other anthologies.
Readings
And if you’re the type that is more audio than visual, many of these delightful wordsmiths will be performing live readings of their works over the course of the of Festival, along with some special art tours featuring new poetry inspired by the pieces in this year’s exhibition. More info about scheduling as soon as we have it!