S2 E14: I Wrote a Ghost Story About the Dungeon That I Worked in for Years with Stephanie Parent

When We're Not Hustling: Sex Workers Talking About Everything But

In this episode of "When We're Not Hustling," Jessie Sage interviews writer and professional submissive Stephanie Parent. Stephanie discusses her journey into sex work, particularly her time working at a commercial dungeon in Los Angeles. She shares insights into the complexities of being a pro-submissive, the community and support among women in the industry, and the cathartic process of writing about her experiences. Stephanie's novel "The Briars," a gothic horror set in a dungeon, draws heavily from her real-life experiences, blending fiction with the emotional and psychological realities of sex work.

The discussion also touches on the challenges and decisions Stephanie faced in writing under her real name versus a pseudonym, and how her work has evolved over time. She highlights her recent publication "My Dungeon Love Affair," a non-fiction chapbook, and her upcoming poetry collection. Stephanie reads her poem "Sacrifice," which explores themes of desire, self-worth, and the intersection of sexuality and spirituality. The episode concludes with Stephanie sharing her excitement about returning to writing and physical activities like aerial dance, and providing information on how listeners can find her work online.

In This Episode:

00:01: Introduction to When We're Not Hustling

00:43: Podcast welcome and intro song

02:44: Announcement of today's guest, Stephanie Parent

03:52: Stephanie Parent's background and professional experience

12:29: The process of writing and selling non-fiction

22:06: Writing the novel "The Briars"

37:03: Transition from Dungeon work to independent work

44:52: Experiences as a pro-submissive

48:03: Stephanie Parent reads her poem, "Sacrifice"

Guest:

Stephanie Parent is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing program at the University of Southern California as well as a professional submissive and switch. After working for six years at a commercial dungeon in Los Angeles, she's now writing about her personal and professional experiences with BDSM for publications including the HuffPost, Hippocampus, Pithead Chapel, Entropy, The Whorticulturalist and Mookychick. Her work has been anthologized in Dating & Sex: The Mutual Theory of Self-Destruction and Slut Vomit: An Anthology of Sex Work. Her first poetry collection, Every Poem a Potion, Every Song a Spell, was released in August 2022 from Querencia Press. Her debut gothic horror novel, The Briars, came out in May 2023 from Cemetery Gates Media.

You can find Stephanie:

Website: stephanieparent.net X: @sc parent Instagram: @sc parent

Recommendations:

The Honeywitch by Sydney Shields

Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill

The Rest:

RSVP to The Holy Hour Book Launch Event in Pittsburgh on Oct 16: HERE.

Host: Jessie Sage

Producer: Emily Foster

Music: Benjamin J Benamati

Sponsor: Assembly Four

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When We're Not Hustling is a 501(c)(3) non-profit project of the Social Good Fund.

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