Rachel Kramer Bussel: The Mr. Skin Interview

What's up with the cupcakes?

I love cupcakes. People always ask me; I think they think it's something really weird, and it started out as this mild interest. Then I decided to start a blog, and I know this guy that does a blog about pizza, and basically people were really interested. People sent me cupcake pajamas, cupcake books, and stuff like that. I get free cupcakes sent to me. I love cupcakes, but it's not like I eat them every day. I like cupcakes and I like talking about them. I don't blog recipes as much as I blog about places to get them.

Do you have them at your readings?

My friend Molly Crabapple was drawing a logo for the reading, and she said. "I will draw you as cleavage and cupcakes." I'm kind of associated with cleavage and cupcakes. I felt like it wasn't fair to have a photo of cupcakes and me and not bring cupcakes to the readings. It's really fun and people are like, wow free food. I think it's just a nice thing to do. Sometimes the audience is really into erotica and sometimes the audience has never heard it before, so it's nice to have free food. It brings them in. That's kind of my gimmick. It works pretty well. Plus I think cupcakes are sexy.

Are you going to write a book connecting erotica and cupcakes?

I personally think they are sexy, but I feel like a lot of people don't. I am a little careful about mixing cupcakes with sex. But we are working on a book and I think it will be great.

Cupcakes are really popping up all over too. Not just in my area or this country. I've seen things from Glasgow and Australia. It seems to be something that people are really interested in.

I've read two of your books, Spanking Stories A-Z and Caught Looking, and you've written and edited many stories on a lot of different subjects, from spankings to S&M. What is your favorite subject from these books?

Those are the newest and probably the best ones. She's on Top and He's on Top are coming out soon, which are really good too. But I think the ones you read are the best so far. I guess I might say spanking is my favorite, but it's usually whatever I'm working on at the moment.

But I think when I say that about spanking, it's the same as with the cupcakes: I don't want to do that every day.

And I don't want to edit like twenty different books about spanking, because then I might get bored with it. What's really cool with the spanking books is that even though they are all about spanking they are all very different. And you think about spanking erotica and it sounds like it would get boring. But people get really into it and each story is unique. I think that's why I like an anthology with a theme. Probably the best part is when people take that theme in a different direction and make it their own.

What subject is closest to reality with you? What do you like in your sex life?

I'm a little bit of a voyeur, but it's not necessarily the biggest thing. I'd say probably spanking. I'm into spanking, but I don't do it all that often and I won't always do it, but usually when I do it I get really into it.

And then with She's on Top and He's on Top, I really don't have anything that is the biggest or that I'm more into. I'm probably more of a bottom than a top. I've done both and I could get into both, but I think what I saw with She's on Top and He's on Top, even though they're telling the top story like their point of view, I think if you're a bottom you could also get off from the top's point of view.

So I think from a lot of these things like, say you're into spanking but you're not into being spanked, you can still read a story about someone being spanked and get into it because you can look at is as the point of view of the person you are spanking. And I think with erotica it's not so much of a person being into that thing but more of how the person tells a story.

Do you hope to help people or teach them with your writing or with your books?

Not really. I feel like that's a lot of pressure. I try to stay away from the "how to" where I'm telling people what to try.

Usually with erotica, especially with the spanking books, I know people have bought them as a way to suggest to someone that they are into spanking. And I think that's totally cool because a lot of people are reading it to get off and see if it might turn them on or turn their partner on.

When you get into the "how to" and people want to know how to please their partner, I don't feel that I am an expert on anything and I really don't have anything to teach people. I enjoy talking to people and presenting various viewpoints but I don't enjoy saying this is what you should do and this is how to do it.

Everyone is different and so much of it comes down to communication. What works with someone might not work with someone else.

Sometimes people want the easy answer, like they want to know how can I be good at this or how do I do that. You can't really say how you should please your partner. I don't really feel like my stuff is a how to or a step by step on anything. I think people are reading erotica to get ideas, maybe not so much advice.

Sometimes people want someone else to guide them and ultimately we are all our own best guides.

When you put your nude pictures on your website did your readership increase?

I don't know because I posted them over time and I didn't track it. Some are on Flickr, and one of the photographers who took the photos has gotten a lot of attention. I don't think about it as much. I just put up the ones I like and they may happen to be of my boobs. On Flickr people have left comments.

People have emailed me and said good stuff and then some people email me "Oh, you're fat" and it's kind of alarming to have that happen. I really like them; I want to do more.

I may take some cupcake photos. I have a whole set of sexy cupcake photos. They are sexy but they aren't that explicit. I'd like to do more, but it depends on what cupcakes I have and what I feel like doing.

Sometimes I do a photo shoot and I don't necessarily plan anything and I just see how I feel and see what clothes I have. I like working with photographers who see something that I don't necessarily see and when they take a photo and I don't look like I look in everyday life. That's what I like the best when they capture a look or an angle that I don't normally see.

What about positive feedback and negative feedback?

I obviously like to get more positive feedback, but some of it freaks me out a little. Especially people who judge you for posing nude or make assumptions about you 'cause you pose nude. I try not to take their judgment to heart, but I do feel a little bad.

How many readings do you do?

I do a monthly reading. I don't really like performing, but when people ask me to do a reading I say yes because it's a chance to reach people who may be reading the book but may not know about the other books. I love doing the In the Flesh readings. It's people that I know, it's fun, and it's in an old massage parlor that is now a bar. It's really sexy; there is red velvet lining in the booths and it's kind of a hip bar. It's small so it's an intimate setting, you can hear really well and see everything. It's the third Wednesday of the month. I'm doing the South by Southwest Fest. I'm on a panel about blogging and dating. Then I'm going to Portland and doing a reading of She's on Top and He's on Top and I'm really excited about that.

What are your favorite nude scenes in films?

There are two scenes in The Fluffer. (Picture: 1) The scene where his girlfriend is giving a lap dance to this guy who is in love with her boyfriend and so they are both in love with the same guy.

So the guy getting the lap dance starts asking her, "What kind of guys do you think are sexy?" and she's like, "You know, you" and he's like, "No, what do you really think?" and she starts describing her boyfriend and they both get into it and it's really hot because they are both totally getting off even though no one is naked.

I really like erotica when nobody actually has sex and they are talking about it or fantasizing. That can be hotter than the sex scene. Sometimes I think we rush to the sex scene, and if you prolong it that makes it hotter. Kind of like dirty talking.

Sometimes it's sexier when there isn't sex, only people being turned on. Sometimes when you have sex you can be disappointed and wish you could go back to before you had it when you were really turned on.

The Watermelon Woman (Picture: 1) has a really sexy scene between these two women. A song is playing and one is black and the other is white and they are having sex and there is all this tension between the two women. The way they shot that scene was hot.

images courtesy of RachelKramerBussel.com