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Modern Whore
Born out of an irrepressible urge to share my own complex experience of sex work, Modern Whore is a book that defies common stereotypes and visual representations of the “prostitute.” It’s an honest and inside look at the funny, meaningful, disturbing, and erotic aspects of the world’s oldest profession.
Modern Whore is a creative memoir in the form of a collection of short stories, fiction and fairy-tale combined with film photography and the artistic vision of filmmaker Nicole Bazuin. Presented in 150-pages of vivid colour without pseudonym or pixilation, this book is an unabashedly feminist, sex-positive and imaginative autobiography unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Modern Whore is a creative memoir in the form of a collection of short stories, fiction and fairy-tale combined with film photography and the artistic vision of filmmaker Nicole Bazuin. Presented in 150-pages of vivid colour without pseudonym or pixilation, this book is an unabashedly feminist, sex-positive and imaginative autobiography unlike anything you’ve seen before.
148 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 16, 2022
Review There is an interesting parallel between whores and self-published authors. Both of them rail against bad reviews. The author says that men should be careful not to give prostitutes a bad review as it can affect their earning potential. The self-published author says the same.
Neither of them feel that if their sexual service or book is thought to be crap, that the purchaser of either should actually tell the truth about it. Rather they should prevaricate, lie or just not leave a review but let others be sucked in by what seems to be a potential really good experience. In other words they regard their future clients and readers as suckers! Getting money, for both of them, is more important than honesty.
Sure there are dishonest reviewers and trolls, but that's part of the game, isn't it? If they do it repeatedly we see it. When I look at someone's profile and I see they have an average of under 3, and a load of books rated at 1 star, I know they are fake, no one deliberately reads that many books they are going to hate. I would imagine it's the same for reviews of sex-workers.
That said, the book is interesting because the author comes from a well-educated middleclass background and went into sex work, became an escort, because she wanted to. She's a feminist - maybe this is fourth wave feminism - and communicates her political position well. The author is an excellent writer and there is a joie-de-vivre about her personality that comes across and I think would make any book she wrote enjoyable.
__________
Reading notes I don't know what to make of this yet. It's my car book, an audio book. The author seems to be absolutely full of herself and very self-righteous. She has no faults, everything from childhood on is a great decision. Maybe she will show herself a little more human as the book moves on.
Neither of them feel that if their sexual service or book is thought to be crap, that the purchaser of either should actually tell the truth about it. Rather they should prevaricate, lie or just not leave a review but let others be sucked in by what seems to be a potential really good experience. In other words they regard their future clients and readers as suckers! Getting money, for both of them, is more important than honesty.
Sure there are dishonest reviewers and trolls, but that's part of the game, isn't it? If they do it repeatedly we see it. When I look at someone's profile and I see they have an average of under 3, and a load of books rated at 1 star, I know they are fake, no one deliberately reads that many books they are going to hate. I would imagine it's the same for reviews of sex-workers.
That said, the book is interesting because the author comes from a well-educated middleclass background and went into sex work, became an escort, because she wanted to. She's a feminist - maybe this is fourth wave feminism - and communicates her political position well. The author is an excellent writer and there is a joie-de-vivre about her personality that comes across and I think would make any book she wrote enjoyable.
__________
Reading notes I don't know what to make of this yet. It's my car book, an audio book. The author seems to be absolutely full of herself and very self-righteous. She has no faults, everything from childhood on is a great decision. Maybe she will show herself a little more human as the book moves on.
August 16, 2022
Solid! Andrea Werhun's is an important voice to hear. She makes her points clearly and hilariously. The extended version of this book addresses activism and privilege more than the original, which was refreshing. However, the next book I read about sex work will be some sort of anthology from a variety of voices of different identities and experiences. Still, I'd say the author's own middle class, uni-educated background makes this is a great, approachable place to start for anyone who is new to or squeamish about the subject. The photos by Nicole Bazuin are gorgeous, poetic, sexy, and funny too! Glad to have this one on my bookshelf.
December 30, 2017
I have been anticipating this book for nearly two years and I was not disappointed. I could have read this in one sitting! Werhun is a terrific writer and brings the reader into her nuanced journey of sex work. It's not a pretty picture, but it's not a bad one either. It's both and that's what people need to reconcile with. I've done a lot of research into sex work for my play "Red/Rouge" and this book is a must for examining the escort world. This world is vastly different than being a street sex worker, but Werhun does note the difference and the hierarchy within the industry itself. At times poignant, hysterical, gross and shocking this book is absorbing from start to finish. Fill with titillating, provocative, beautiful and vulnerable photographs by Nicole Bazuin this book excites on every turn. I mean, you know what I mean, and also get your head out of the gutter, or don't it's your choice. Some of the fictional short stories were so incredible I could see them turned into a full novel or Werhun's own collection of fictional short stories. Lastly, just read the damn book!
October 15, 2022
I'm a better feminist after reading this.
(Worth saying: the pictures make it very Not Safe for Reading in Public.)
(Worth saying: the pictures make it very Not Safe for Reading in Public.)
February 28, 2023
3.8/5 - 10 years of pole-dancing to agency escorting—until Covid hits at 30. As a teen, she wanted to be the Canadian Prime Minister-slash-singer. Quickly realizing that’s quite the order, she opts for alt magazine-type writing and gets her own board on 4Chan by promoting it w/ lewds of her high school self. She’s typical of the time: thinking being anti-Capitalist and seeing Rotten-dot-com killings is top-tier entertainment. She meets her first BF online even though he’s a dumpy dork, she decides to take his virginity—only for him to say she should wear makeup and lose weight. Promptly dumping him, she’s glad to be rid of that mess only to stumble into another: her parents find her nudes folder on the family computer. She promises not to take anymore even though she’s discovered through traditional journals through them. All this before she’s 18.
The book is broken up into little essays. At 21, she becomes an escort named Mary Ann to sound like a mix of the virgin bearer and wannabe ingenue on Gillian’s Island. This fits her pretentious English major energy. She does write well, buttery and poetic, but with bubbly self-importance. She belittles anyone who questions her intentions to get into the industry yet seldom says what she likes or wants about it besides implying it’s just to appear different than civilian girls or abused colleagues. The best we get is her saying she’s a Scorpio surrounded by coke. She says she likes sex but in the beginning constantly avoids it. That’s also vague, which parts does she like?
There’s a list of SW acronyms for things like “cum on face,” the reviews she receives on Eros and the ones she’d retort w/ if given the chance. Ironic even the glowing reviews, she bitches how flabby the old men are or debates politics like it’s not a stupid idea. She has half a dozen appointments a day, sometimes changing up her fake bio as a painter. One client she goes to their moldy basement bedrooms minus a door and pledges “never again.” She learns some clients like the fit Mr. Wack treat each escort completely different: adoringly affectionate to intentionally abusive. Once she mentions her other clients, he makes the switch on her. He gets blacklisted everywhere, not that the receptionist always cares to note such.
Mary Ann works other jobs on top of this: comedian class or regular teacher, office worker, farmer, uni student even though she seems to make in a day escorting what I do in a paycheck. Rarely does she seem to actually go on dates rather than have men eat her out. Much of this book seems to be her documenting people complimenting her, which she admits are also often fake, Penthouse-titillating recounts so that more johns will solicit her. She’s more bored girlfriend experience than ecstatic pornstar. There’s a lot of sarcasm in the prose. The Holy Hooker short story is a cool lens for her to have people look at their prejudices slightly different. Oddly, her dad takes her job super easy and her religious, cautious mom often sobs about it though gives her the good advice of turning her experiences into creative writing.
One of her clients is a wheelchair-bound man named Paul, another a Penguin-looking doctor who claims he had a sexual relationship w/ his mom, Kinky Kyle who zip-ties her breasts before she pegs and yellow showers him, makes him chug it. Tyrant is another short story-esque piece that offers explanation for insecurity in disparaging men and compliment-hungry women, Madonna/whore complexes.
The first time she’s shown enjoying sex is 40% in w/ a classy couple in the country, then a local politician who sees her w/ his dying wife’s blessing. The fictional story about a raping god is obviously weird, a modern mythology turned into a Cinderella story since the rapist births a whore that makes a romantic out of another tyrant’s sweet son.
Halfway through the book, she becomes a stripper like she originally wanted since she’s more into performance art. This club divides into “extra”-centric rooms and regular lap dance spaces. She gives the obvious tip not to be intoxicated on the job, but constantly is—even if it’s not revealed until later. She quits one year after a Kickstarter to write the first version of this book and laments “no one told me there’s no money in publishing” which is laughable, especially when her goal was only selling one thousand copies a year.
It’s cool the strippers set up a “peer coalition” that gives water, condoms, and in-betweens to street-walkers. She seems much happier dancing even though it seems like 1/3 the money and men still force their fingers and worse in her during a dance. A big departure from the book is a story called Agatha about a girl lured into a premier’s car to sexually abuse. Confused but quick-witted, she winds up tricking him into castration. Then the author starts blues singing… It sounds good but is so disjointed. The Mind Flog chapter is fittingly foggy: seizing after molly and coke, getting her license suspended, blacking out and turning up in a hospital, getting stitches (surprised it’s still $5K for that in Toronto). Not sure what the point of this chapter is after preaching a bit about not doing such and making it all sound more unstable than if sprinkled about the narrative. She describes herself as too happy to need substances but we see mostly anger in this project. It makes sense: This is a venting book and we need drama, but we rarely see any pure fun on the clock. We don’t even see her performing on stage like she claims to love, no descriptions of the lights or cheering audience or moves. I believe she does love unexpected conversation w/ the guys but we only see the confrontational kind and she only Cali sobers up because her concussion/seizure condition.
The last ten minutes of the book is about how the baby stages of Covid whisk away money from gentleman’s clubs on top of it being after the holidays that leave men more broke. It should have been left on the cute ILY scene w/ a street-walker she helps out—not the repetitive, silly essay on how hoes are heroes. The mention of OnlyFans was shoehorned in when it should be saved for a focused, personal sequel. Then we get a few more goofy lists she wrote when she was 12 and 31 about who she wants to be and how SWers have “powers.” It just seems to seriously undercut the tone she was trying to end on, too fluffy. I’d delete the last three chapters.
My copy is from Audible, so alas I do not get to see the go-go photos this book was inspired by, but at least I can peep the short film it was made into.
The book is broken up into little essays. At 21, she becomes an escort named Mary Ann to sound like a mix of the virgin bearer and wannabe ingenue on Gillian’s Island. This fits her pretentious English major energy. She does write well, buttery and poetic, but with bubbly self-importance. She belittles anyone who questions her intentions to get into the industry yet seldom says what she likes or wants about it besides implying it’s just to appear different than civilian girls or abused colleagues. The best we get is her saying she’s a Scorpio surrounded by coke. She says she likes sex but in the beginning constantly avoids it. That’s also vague, which parts does she like?
There’s a list of SW acronyms for things like “cum on face,” the reviews she receives on Eros and the ones she’d retort w/ if given the chance. Ironic even the glowing reviews, she bitches how flabby the old men are or debates politics like it’s not a stupid idea. She has half a dozen appointments a day, sometimes changing up her fake bio as a painter. One client she goes to their moldy basement bedrooms minus a door and pledges “never again.” She learns some clients like the fit Mr. Wack treat each escort completely different: adoringly affectionate to intentionally abusive. Once she mentions her other clients, he makes the switch on her. He gets blacklisted everywhere, not that the receptionist always cares to note such.
Mary Ann works other jobs on top of this: comedian class or regular teacher, office worker, farmer, uni student even though she seems to make in a day escorting what I do in a paycheck. Rarely does she seem to actually go on dates rather than have men eat her out. Much of this book seems to be her documenting people complimenting her, which she admits are also often fake, Penthouse-titillating recounts so that more johns will solicit her. She’s more bored girlfriend experience than ecstatic pornstar. There’s a lot of sarcasm in the prose. The Holy Hooker short story is a cool lens for her to have people look at their prejudices slightly different. Oddly, her dad takes her job super easy and her religious, cautious mom often sobs about it though gives her the good advice of turning her experiences into creative writing.
One of her clients is a wheelchair-bound man named Paul, another a Penguin-looking doctor who claims he had a sexual relationship w/ his mom, Kinky Kyle who zip-ties her breasts before she pegs and yellow showers him, makes him chug it. Tyrant is another short story-esque piece that offers explanation for insecurity in disparaging men and compliment-hungry women, Madonna/whore complexes.
The first time she’s shown enjoying sex is 40% in w/ a classy couple in the country, then a local politician who sees her w/ his dying wife’s blessing. The fictional story about a raping god is obviously weird, a modern mythology turned into a Cinderella story since the rapist births a whore that makes a romantic out of another tyrant’s sweet son.
Halfway through the book, she becomes a stripper like she originally wanted since she’s more into performance art. This club divides into “extra”-centric rooms and regular lap dance spaces. She gives the obvious tip not to be intoxicated on the job, but constantly is—even if it’s not revealed until later. She quits one year after a Kickstarter to write the first version of this book and laments “no one told me there’s no money in publishing” which is laughable, especially when her goal was only selling one thousand copies a year.
It’s cool the strippers set up a “peer coalition” that gives water, condoms, and in-betweens to street-walkers. She seems much happier dancing even though it seems like 1/3 the money and men still force their fingers and worse in her during a dance. A big departure from the book is a story called Agatha about a girl lured into a premier’s car to sexually abuse. Confused but quick-witted, she winds up tricking him into castration. Then the author starts blues singing… It sounds good but is so disjointed. The Mind Flog chapter is fittingly foggy: seizing after molly and coke, getting her license suspended, blacking out and turning up in a hospital, getting stitches (surprised it’s still $5K for that in Toronto). Not sure what the point of this chapter is after preaching a bit about not doing such and making it all sound more unstable than if sprinkled about the narrative. She describes herself as too happy to need substances but we see mostly anger in this project. It makes sense: This is a venting book and we need drama, but we rarely see any pure fun on the clock. We don’t even see her performing on stage like she claims to love, no descriptions of the lights or cheering audience or moves. I believe she does love unexpected conversation w/ the guys but we only see the confrontational kind and she only Cali sobers up because her concussion/seizure condition.
The last ten minutes of the book is about how the baby stages of Covid whisk away money from gentleman’s clubs on top of it being after the holidays that leave men more broke. It should have been left on the cute ILY scene w/ a street-walker she helps out—not the repetitive, silly essay on how hoes are heroes. The mention of OnlyFans was shoehorned in when it should be saved for a focused, personal sequel. Then we get a few more goofy lists she wrote when she was 12 and 31 about who she wants to be and how SWers have “powers.” It just seems to seriously undercut the tone she was trying to end on, too fluffy. I’d delete the last three chapters.
My copy is from Audible, so alas I do not get to see the go-go photos this book was inspired by, but at least I can peep the short film it was made into.
February 26, 2023
An interesting perspective on sex work. I was somewhat uncomfortable with the author’s repeated use of what I think of as sex worker slurs (i.e. whore) but acknowledge that she has earned the right to call herself whatever she wants to—perhaps it is a form of reclamation. I found the book very entertaining and the author’s narration of the audiobook was great.
June 13, 2022
(The edition that I read was much longer, 306 pages, as well as hardcover... however, this was the only one goodreads had available).
February 24, 2023
LOOOVEEEEE!!! Andrea Werhun is a goddess and Nicole Bazuin is a visionary. Reading the second edition of modern whore transcends reading and becomes an ~experience~.
January 15, 2018
To start, let me tell you that this book is highly NSFW but so, so good. It's a fascinating look inside the life of an escort -- Andrea shows all sides of the job she chose to have for two years of her life; it's not all glamorous, and it's not all terrible. Most importantly, she uses this book as an opportunity to challenge prejudices and raise awareness about the reality of sex work and how society could better support those who are part of it. Would definitely recommend you read this -- because aren't you a little bit curious?
November 14, 2023
“I listened to Patti Smith’s Easter album every morning to get myself to the office. Patti, my living hero, spoke directly to me, the baby, the black sheep, the whore. Do you like the world around you? She asked. Are you ready to behave? From the subway station, I trudged along the snow-narrowed sidewalk. Another day of pretending to be a normal woman. After work, released from the grey crunch of rush hour, I would arrive home, like clockwork, in tears. It did not make sense to work this hard—and suffer this much—for so little money and for someone else’s dream. Nightly panic attacks became my reality. Normal, I confirmed in my bones, was code for miserable. Ironically, three months working in an office was more traumatic than the two years I’d spent as an escort. I quit.”
Beautifuly and lovingly crafted, with high production values, written with verve and style, and lots of heart, including some fantastic short-form fiction, this book will be one to cherish. To say nothing of the nudes: That the author is a beautiful woman who graces the pages of the hardcover with a vast number of professionally produced photos in different stages of nakedness and sensuality, doesn’t hurt. Ah, and the audiobook! Also a triumph. Andrea Werhun could definitely have a career, or at least maintain a side hustle, reading audiobooks. Her reading of this one is peerless.
“Touch, intimacy, warmth, pleasure, laughter, relaxation, connection: feeling good is our birthright. Feeling good is the altar upon which the sex worker worships, the service they happily and dutifully provide. A fine calling—making people feel good for a living? Sounds good to me! So, why is it still a crime?”
So, another memoir by an escort. Why do I read these books, when I find one? Firstly, because they tend to be excellent and fascinating. Also because of Maggie McNeill, whom I discovered in the Internet decades ago and find consistently to still be the best essayist alive. She was (is?) an escort. That got me interested.
Then, Brooke Magnanti. The Secret Diary of a Call-Girl is an unmitigated literary delight and everything Magnanti wrote since has been brilliant. She was forced to out herself and that has complicated her life, but she still writes occasionally and is always compelling and relevant.
Of all that I’ve read on the subject so far, upon reading Modern Whore, the trilogy I currently propose is:
* “The Secret Diary of a Call-Girl” by Belle de Jour, a picaresque chronicle of a licentious and free life;
* “Puta y Livre” by Valérie May, work biography, manifestation of personal independence and political manifesto; and
* “Modern Whore” by Andrea Werhun, this book, a celebration of being alive and an evaluation of the choices that must be made to give meaning to life.
There are currently countless other books by sex workers; most of the ones I read are actually quite good and utterly fascinating, but considering this as genre, the ones mentioned above are literary canon.
Some more quotes from Modern Whore.
“If I can make a buck reading a man a book, why wouldn’t I? Likewise, if a person can pay their rent—in a pandemic—by masturbating on camera, why shouldn’t they?”
“Whoring is a means of survival, yes. When faced with the option of working more hours for less money with no control over their schedule, the sex worker may feel “forced” to preserve their dignity and return to whoring.”
“Yeah, so, I’m a hooker. A bona fide, two-syllabled who-oore. Slutty and paid, that’s me. People who fuck for free? I don’t know them. Listen, you’re not a soup kitchen. You’re not a thrift store. You’re not a charity. You’re a million dollars on two legs. You don’t have to give it away for nothing because you feel bad for these guys. R-E-S-P-E-C-T yourself and have some self-worth! So, I get paid and I have fun. Save a little, spend a lot. Whatever. I want everyone to know I’m using these peak youthful-charm years to my fullest advantage. I’m proud—so what? I don’t waste my time doing shit for money that not only bores me but makes me barely enough to eat a scrap of bologna every now and then. No. I wouldn’t be proud working an acceptable job if it meant I couldn’t live the good life. My life. Being a hooker means I can have fun and get paid at the same time. Dick is dick. Feels good whether the body attached is young, old, ugly, wrinkly—even stinky I’ll get over if the price is right. I love fucking, and I love getting paid.”
“Despite the odds, we are here. Every sex worker is the hero of their own journey. With the spirit of the femme vitale as our guide, we will use our joy, beauty, creativity, strength, and fierce determination to fight for our right to survive—not just for us, but for the whores that are yet to come. The world needs us. More of us. We’re alive and always will be. Love is our driver. And we will win.”
Beautifuly and lovingly crafted, with high production values, written with verve and style, and lots of heart, including some fantastic short-form fiction, this book will be one to cherish. To say nothing of the nudes: That the author is a beautiful woman who graces the pages of the hardcover with a vast number of professionally produced photos in different stages of nakedness and sensuality, doesn’t hurt. Ah, and the audiobook! Also a triumph. Andrea Werhun could definitely have a career, or at least maintain a side hustle, reading audiobooks. Her reading of this one is peerless.
“Touch, intimacy, warmth, pleasure, laughter, relaxation, connection: feeling good is our birthright. Feeling good is the altar upon which the sex worker worships, the service they happily and dutifully provide. A fine calling—making people feel good for a living? Sounds good to me! So, why is it still a crime?”
So, another memoir by an escort. Why do I read these books, when I find one? Firstly, because they tend to be excellent and fascinating. Also because of Maggie McNeill, whom I discovered in the Internet decades ago and find consistently to still be the best essayist alive. She was (is?) an escort. That got me interested.
Then, Brooke Magnanti. The Secret Diary of a Call-Girl is an unmitigated literary delight and everything Magnanti wrote since has been brilliant. She was forced to out herself and that has complicated her life, but she still writes occasionally and is always compelling and relevant.
Of all that I’ve read on the subject so far, upon reading Modern Whore, the trilogy I currently propose is:
* “The Secret Diary of a Call-Girl” by Belle de Jour, a picaresque chronicle of a licentious and free life;
* “Puta y Livre” by Valérie May, work biography, manifestation of personal independence and political manifesto; and
* “Modern Whore” by Andrea Werhun, this book, a celebration of being alive and an evaluation of the choices that must be made to give meaning to life.
There are currently countless other books by sex workers; most of the ones I read are actually quite good and utterly fascinating, but considering this as genre, the ones mentioned above are literary canon.
Some more quotes from Modern Whore.
“If I can make a buck reading a man a book, why wouldn’t I? Likewise, if a person can pay their rent—in a pandemic—by masturbating on camera, why shouldn’t they?”
“Whoring is a means of survival, yes. When faced with the option of working more hours for less money with no control over their schedule, the sex worker may feel “forced” to preserve their dignity and return to whoring.”
“Yeah, so, I’m a hooker. A bona fide, two-syllabled who-oore. Slutty and paid, that’s me. People who fuck for free? I don’t know them. Listen, you’re not a soup kitchen. You’re not a thrift store. You’re not a charity. You’re a million dollars on two legs. You don’t have to give it away for nothing because you feel bad for these guys. R-E-S-P-E-C-T yourself and have some self-worth! So, I get paid and I have fun. Save a little, spend a lot. Whatever. I want everyone to know I’m using these peak youthful-charm years to my fullest advantage. I’m proud—so what? I don’t waste my time doing shit for money that not only bores me but makes me barely enough to eat a scrap of bologna every now and then. No. I wouldn’t be proud working an acceptable job if it meant I couldn’t live the good life. My life. Being a hooker means I can have fun and get paid at the same time. Dick is dick. Feels good whether the body attached is young, old, ugly, wrinkly—even stinky I’ll get over if the price is right. I love fucking, and I love getting paid.”
“Despite the odds, we are here. Every sex worker is the hero of their own journey. With the spirit of the femme vitale as our guide, we will use our joy, beauty, creativity, strength, and fierce determination to fight for our right to survive—not just for us, but for the whores that are yet to come. The world needs us. More of us. We’re alive and always will be. Love is our driver. And we will win.”
November 20, 2022
I spent an evening this summer reading this book. I found it fascinating, especially given my experience over the years as a patron @ the club in question.
The book does a very good job providing a quick dose of entertainment, and also gives a fairly accurate look at life inside the soon-to-close Toronto club it is based on (my comments are focused on the new portions; I skimmed through most of the older parts of the book that focus on escorting). There's one passage in the book about conversations with an older co-worker inside the "pink room" that particularly stood out in my mind. I remembered that woman well, and felt guilty at how a simple 'no' on my part might have inspired moments of negative self-worth like the passage in question. A perpetual and generational cruelty exists in the stripping industry, and this passage provided a simple but profound reminder of how humbling father time can be for people who lean on the superficiality of woven fantasy in order to make a living.
Like a lot of these narratives, it's a bit too one-sided. I wholeheartedly support the author's effort to de-stigmatize sex work, but also feel that in her efforts to re-empower vulnerable women in the industry - and most likely to achieve some measure of personal catharsis - she has leaned too liberally into rhetoric laced with condescension and sarcasm, creating an ironic mirroring of the shaming faced by women such as herself. A lot of men who go into the clubs where Werhun works are just as vulnerable and emotionally compromised as the women they visit, and as such, a less sardonic portrayal of the customers would have been appreciated. However, despite some serious undertones, the book is fairly lighthearted, and it's probably best not to make too much out of a lack of balance in a satire.
The book does a very good job providing a quick dose of entertainment, and also gives a fairly accurate look at life inside the soon-to-close Toronto club it is based on (my comments are focused on the new portions; I skimmed through most of the older parts of the book that focus on escorting). There's one passage in the book about conversations with an older co-worker inside the "pink room" that particularly stood out in my mind. I remembered that woman well, and felt guilty at how a simple 'no' on my part might have inspired moments of negative self-worth like the passage in question. A perpetual and generational cruelty exists in the stripping industry, and this passage provided a simple but profound reminder of how humbling father time can be for people who lean on the superficiality of woven fantasy in order to make a living.
Like a lot of these narratives, it's a bit too one-sided. I wholeheartedly support the author's effort to de-stigmatize sex work, but also feel that in her efforts to re-empower vulnerable women in the industry - and most likely to achieve some measure of personal catharsis - she has leaned too liberally into rhetoric laced with condescension and sarcasm, creating an ironic mirroring of the shaming faced by women such as herself. A lot of men who go into the clubs where Werhun works are just as vulnerable and emotionally compromised as the women they visit, and as such, a less sardonic portrayal of the customers would have been appreciated. However, despite some serious undertones, the book is fairly lighthearted, and it's probably best not to make too much out of a lack of balance in a satire.
May 5, 2019
Ce livre est d'une fraîcheur incroyable ! Contrairement à ce qui constitue la majorité de la littérature du témoignage sur le travail du sexe, on est ici dans une oeuvre oscillant entre le billet court, l'analyse la réflexion et la confession, le tout ponctué d'images évocatrices, sensuelles voire érotiques qui se jouent des thèmes pour refléter au maximum l'agentivité de la protagoniste. On voudrait que ce livre soit le premier d'une série de livres sur le travail du sexe, avec Modern Camgirl, Modern Stripper, Modern Sugarbaby... Un charme à lire, juste assez d'autodérision, de sérieux, de tragicomique pour nous balader dans les hauts et les bas de ce monde caché, d'un point de vue certes privilégié mais loin d'être anecdotique.
August 22, 2018
Amongst the blurbs on the back cover, Annie Sprinkle (no stranger to this sort of story, herself), says that Andrea and Nicole have created and defined their own genre with this. That's a huge claim but it's 100% accurate. "21st Century Confessional", "Fourth Wave Feminist" , maybe? This is an incredible book that, once it's discovered by the people who define these things will recognise it as the classic it is. Andrea is a witty, and sensitive and deeply intelligent writer, and Nicole's design and use of colour in her photographs is beautifully married to the layers of irony and self-investigation at the core of this piece of work. BRAVA!
January 9, 2019
At several points while I read this, I felt uncomfortable. And it’s probably Ms. Werhun’s experience challenging my prejudice about the sex trade. At times, the lightness, fun, and amusement used to portray her whoring is what would make me shift in my chair, squirming uneasily. I would relax when I read the bits that reaffirmed my perspective on exploitation, violence and the relation to prostitution.
So five stars. I’m still uncomfortable, but part of a good read is a book that can push me out of my comfort zone without getting me to quit.
So five stars. I’m still uncomfortable, but part of a good read is a book that can push me out of my comfort zone without getting me to quit.
April 23, 2023
Listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author. Great delivery.
Werhum is smart, insightful, open, sarcastic, often deep, and even funny at times. At the same time, there's little introspection and the book recycles the main points very often. Towards the end, and just when I was thinking the author could probably write about a number of things, there's a weak story about the ON Premier, followed by bad amateur singing.
A valuable and important effort. Four stars.
Werhum is smart, insightful, open, sarcastic, often deep, and even funny at times. At the same time, there's little introspection and the book recycles the main points very often. Towards the end, and just when I was thinking the author could probably write about a number of things, there's a weak story about the ON Premier, followed by bad amateur singing.
A valuable and important effort. Four stars.
October 1, 2023
Such an entertaining read! I haven't felt so captivated by a book in so long. Andrea has such a fun way of writing and sharing her life, its so personal and well written - I could not get enough. She poured her heart out onto the pages unapologetically. The book itself is beautiful too, the photography is beyond amazing and everything is designed so well. Very eye pleasing. The world needs more books like this!!!
January 4, 2018
The book is fascinating, you have to give it that! I am a little confused as to who its audience is; thats one of my biggest questions leaving the book. Also left questioning about the desired aesthetics of the photos (and the whole book in a way). Its laid out intriguingly, I just wonder at the intent and whether it succeeds at that.
March 5, 2018
A sharp, witty look at what it's like to spend two years as an escort. Werhun mixes memoir and fairy tale to effectively pull the readers into the viscera of human-to-human contact; we see, feel, and even sometimes smell (shudders). Add in Bazuin's luscious, high-impact photos, and this is a very sexy read indeed.
March 10, 2023
I liked this book because it directly challenged the notion that all sex workers are damaged goods who have been physically/sexually assaulted or otherwise abused and therefore tragically fell or were pushed into sex work. Yes, Andrea had been assaulted previous to going into sex work, but that is not the impetus for her work, that is the condition of being a woman in the world. She is clearly privileged and had other options and advantages, but she chose what she chose and she liked it. There's not a lot of moral grappling in the book, which is nice.
Modern Whore sometimes feels somewhat emotionally detached and surface-level, but not every book needs to be intensely cerebral. The author conveyed her beliefs clearly while keeping the book accessible. Some of the short fiction made the book seem a bit disjointed, but that's just me. I appreciated the many moments Werhun was vulnerable with us, and I also appreciated how clear it was that she sees sex workers of all stripes as inherently worthy. The only time she compares herself to other SWs is to uplift or admire the other. You can feel her solidarity with her community throughout the book.
All in all, if you want to read a SW's account of the job and come away feeling fairly light, this is a good bet. The photos are gorgeous and punctuate the book in a funny way. The author doesn't let the book veer too much into dark territory, keeping the focus on the resilience, complexity, and humanity of the sex workers society writes off.
Modern Whore sometimes feels somewhat emotionally detached and surface-level, but not every book needs to be intensely cerebral. The author conveyed her beliefs clearly while keeping the book accessible. Some of the short fiction made the book seem a bit disjointed, but that's just me. I appreciated the many moments Werhun was vulnerable with us, and I also appreciated how clear it was that she sees sex workers of all stripes as inherently worthy. The only time she compares herself to other SWs is to uplift or admire the other. You can feel her solidarity with her community throughout the book.
All in all, if you want to read a SW's account of the job and come away feeling fairly light, this is a good bet. The photos are gorgeous and punctuate the book in a funny way. The author doesn't let the book veer too much into dark territory, keeping the focus on the resilience, complexity, and humanity of the sex workers society writes off.
September 7, 2023
In her memoir, Andrea Werhun shares her stories and insights from the sex industry, which is co-created with filmmaker Nicole Bazuin, who provides portraits of the author that illustrate the different roles and personas she adopted as a sex worker. The book is a genre-bending mix of humour, honesty, erotica and social commentary.
What I liked the most was that it challenged my stereotypes and prejudices about sex work and sex workers. She doesn't shy away from the complexities and contradictions of her experiences and shows the diversity and humanity of her clients, as well as the joys and dangers of her profession. She also exposes the stigma and discrimination that sex workers face in society and calls for more respect and recognition of their rights.
Overall, Modern Whore is a bold and refreshing memoir that offers a unique perspective on sex work and sexuality. It is not for everyone, but it is worth reading for curious and open-minded people.
What I liked the most was that it challenged my stereotypes and prejudices about sex work and sex workers. She doesn't shy away from the complexities and contradictions of her experiences and shows the diversity and humanity of her clients, as well as the joys and dangers of her profession. She also exposes the stigma and discrimination that sex workers face in society and calls for more respect and recognition of their rights.
Overall, Modern Whore is a bold and refreshing memoir that offers a unique perspective on sex work and sexuality. It is not for everyone, but it is worth reading for curious and open-minded people.
December 4, 2018
Such a great work of creative non-fiction. The photographs are gorgeous and Andrea is a great writer. Really engaging and honest look into sex work in Toronto. I look forward to seeing what they produce in the future.
June 17, 2019
Insightful and fun to read. Her non-fiction writing was excellent. The fiction was tedious. For some reason, the photos struck me a prurient at first but then I realized many of them really conveyed part of the narrative.
November 17, 2022
Really really enjoyed this book!! Andrea has lived a dozen lives and it is so neat to get to read about worlds I wouldn't otherwise have insight into. It's funny, it's honest, it's gritty, and highlights what it is to be human.
November 25, 2022
Great memoir! Fascinating and raw account of Andrea’s two years as an escort. I liked how the author posted about the good (money and the empowering feeling) and the bad (clients that have bad hygiene and those that push boundaries). A great book about the highs and lows of sex work.
January 22, 2024
A very engaging, brutally honest, and thought provoking collection of memories and stories that challenge countless preconceived notions and prejudices towards sex work. All written with a sense of humor, empowerment, and destigmatized justice.
December 30, 2017
Interesting book. The photos are fantastic. Andrea is a great writer and I enjoyed the book. It’s humorous, thought provoking, and scintillating. I wish it had been a hardcover though!
November 18, 2022
powerful accounts of the ups and downs of sex work, as well as highlighting the sisterhood of sex working women. honestly so beautiful
December 30, 2022
son scorpio sun et son aries moon ont tlm de sens. loved it
January 23, 2023
4.5 stars. This was a truly interesting memoir written by a former sex worker in Toronto. It was unfiltered, funny, and honest. It was also very educational and eye opening. Sex work is work!
January 28, 2023
Funny, insightful, educational, weird, it was a good one!
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