Fame often makes a writer vain, but seldom makes him proud. – W.H. Auden
As regular readers know, all last week I was attending the Desiree Alliance convention in Las Vegas. My specific intention was to meet readers and other activists, and I had ample opportunity to do so: I was kept busy from morning until night every day, and well past my bedtime on several days. I talked until I was hoarse, and met so many people I can barely remember them all! Some of them were folks I knew by reputation (such as Carol Leigh and Stacey Swimme); others I knew from Twitter or blogging (such as Mistress Matisse, Sabrina Morgan and Joyce Arthur). But many others were people I was meeting for the first time (such as my roommate, Ms. Kat). Most of my time was spent with Kat, Matisse, her friend Jae, activists Tizzy Wall and Steph Wilcock, and a Swedish academic named Ida Kock who is studying the effects of the Swedish model on sex workers; however, I also tried to make as much time as possible for every one of my readers who came up and introduced themselves (and there were many).
In fact, those readers were responsible for what was for me the most profound experience of the conference. For some time now, my husband has been telling me that I’ve become a celebrity; I’ve always denied it, saying that a celebrity has to be a “household name”. But after this week, I’m forced to admit that, at least in the small world of sex work, he’s exactly right: so many people told me how excited they were to meet me, that obviously they couldn’t all be attempting to make me feel good. Some even said they felt honored, but I feel I must respectfully correct them on that account: the honor is all mine. Many hundreds of readers, both inside and outside of our community, give their attention and their precious time to my efforts every day, despite the fact that all I’m doing is writing about how I feel or sharing information I’ve uncovered. That’s amazing, flattering and (paradoxically) humbling; it inspires me to keep investing my energies in the project, to keep speaking out for liberty and justice, and to work even harder so as deserve the praise, respect and yes, celebrity, all of y’all have conferred on me.
I’m very happy for you, Maggie. It’s not vain to be personally appreciated and commended by so many so far unknown people for whom you are soul mate and source of knowledge and understanding in an area that is dear to them, in one way or the other. It must be encouraging!
So you’re saying you enjoyed the convention … ;D
You deserve it Maggie. You faithfully post something new every day and it’s always interesting. I come here mainly for the links and the history lessons and the occasional fiction but I end up reading the other stuff as well. I just can’t help it. 🙂
Glad you had a good time, Maggie. 🙂
I don’t think I would want to be a celebrity, but I hope it is fun for you 🙂
Maggie, of course you’re a celebrity, and the attention you got was well-deserved because you’re such an astute and committed writer, and one who respects her readers.
It was a thrill and a privilege to meet you. Thanks for the mention and thanks especially for spending a bit of time with me.
I just want to say that I read you before it was cool. 🙂
It’s always been cool. 🙂 I did start hanging out here before Maggie was a “celebrity” though. Back then it was just a little known blog that Dave Kreuger from Radley’s old agitator blog posted a link to. I clicked it and kept coming back.
Maggie is a certified star.
There are some people who are a “cut above” – and you’re one of them. Some people are able to spin hundreds of plates and keep them going. You have a phenomenal blog, first off – the attention to detail you apply to administering it beats anything else any of us will ever come across on the web. The sheer volume of posts – one per day – without being repetitive is astonishing. Most of us run out of ideas at about the same time you seem to get “warmed up”.
Your writing – is absolutely phenomenal. I don’t know what grade level you write on but I can understand “most” of what you pen – so it must be a fairly low grade level! 😛 But seriously, activist writing is USELESS unless the masses can understand it and you seem to hit the target every time.
And then there is the “Twitter-thingie” … which you seem to have plugged into your brain because nothing there ever gets past you.
Then there’s these conferences you attend and even speak at … the countless calls from reporters and writers and other activists … not to mention all the emails from we “Simpleton’s” out here – of which I’ve been a major violator!
That’s not to mention the blackberries, the dogs, the chickens, and the renovations on your farm.
We’ve never met, you and I, but I’ve always imagined that you’re a person bordering on a nervous breakdown – with all the stuff you’re involved with (I know I would be). Sort of like Dr. Nick Rush on Stargate – Universe.
If you and I were shipwrecked with 20 other people on a desert island – I’m grabbing four other big guys and taking over – but I’d tell my dudes … “You see that brunette chick over there? The one with the brown eyes and the bolt ons? Yeah, well – you fuckers WILL give her EVERYTHING FUCKING THING SHE WANTS! We don’t want that girl as an enemy!!”
😀
So the “honor”, ma’am – is ours! 😉
I double-second
I agree 100 percent, except…
Isn’t Maggie a redhead?
Not on most days. 😀
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear it. Wish I could have been there.
Rum
Just say the word and legions of internet warriors will swarm to your defense and turn your criticizors into a lugest
You write in complete sentennces,.
You try to make sense like a guy.
Don’t let it go to your head. That is about the only risk I see. Felling good about recognition is entirely fine though. However, your writing is insightful, clear and fair. Most people (writers included) have this problem that they see reality (including themselves) through the filter of what they want to see. That is perhaps the most serious problem the human race has and most other problems derive from that. You do not have that problem and that is what makes all the praise well-deserved.
We ALL have that problem Celos. See Jonathan Haidt’s body of work for excellent discussion of this. Maggie has plenty of blind spots and so do I. Maggie, you are a delight to read and the counterpoint to the mainstream is extremely valuable, but you use disrespectful vocabulary towards those who do not share your beliefs at least as often as others do toward you. The fact that your disrespect is usually veiled in sophisticated vocabulary and is a pleasure to read does not make it any more respectful – or help elevate the conversations above the attack mode that seems to attract so many here on line of all persuasions. I understand you have been deeply wounded in ways I am unlikely to ever understand by parts of the system were supposed to protect you, and I am sorry for that. You are raising awareness, but you are mostly preaching to the self-selected choir here. Last time I checked, stirring up the ire of the base was a tactic for dominating or eliminating the opposition, a tactic used by many over the course of human history, but probably not the best path to win-win for the species. Yours is far from the only spiritual tradition that teaches the universality of our connectedness. Give respect to get respect. And yes, it is the most difficult but the most effective exactly when we are feeling the most disrespected. In any case, you are doing good work, and I am grateful that you inhabit our universe. Thank you for investing your time in this daily.
Dear us17can16, thanks for speaking up. You’re talking about 1 of the many reasons I’ve been unhappy here for a long time and am in the process of leaving. I’m catching up on some posts before I leave because to not do that I can’t live with. This place has had some positives for me (BIG positives), but too many negatives for me to live with also. Thanks again for your post.
I understand what you are saying. There are days I read here, usually in the comments, and wonder why I stick around. But then Maggie will write something brilliant and I know the answer to my own question. Of course, sometimes she leaves me wanting to pull my hair out and throw it at her. 😉
I suspect that there will be some who will miss you when you leave. Not me; I’ve got you in the off-line real world. But some.
Maggie, you deserve recognition for your tireless work. Too many ‘celebrities’ are just “famous for being famous”,
Maggie, it was an honour, a pleasure, stimulating, provocative and inspiring. I’m so glad to have met you! You have left your mark – thank you for the mention and here’s the link to my blog you asked for – your film clip almost uploaded too, watch this space.
Congratulations, from someone you probably don’t like very much. It’s a very nice blog and I still like the occasional post. And being on moderation, I have to say when it comes to free speech, you definitely practice what you preach. Though sometimes they make me burst out laughing at you, like your post on lawyers, that one was funny. Oh and that one on bullying. And the red pill people, those guys are a awesome source of comedy.
In closing, keep up the good work, Maggie, you’re doing something important.
You really should write a book!! Please do. Now is the time to write a book about the oldest profession in the world.
I’ll add my voice to the attagirls and, like others, encourage you to keep up the good work. Your writing is not only good (and it is); it’s making a difference.
A bit late to react on an older post maybe.
But I did in fact feel honored when you unexpectedly visited my blog. All I could think was: ‘Wow, does she take the time to visit my blog, MY blog…? That’s so cool..’
Needless to say I’m a fan of you, and I fully support your views.
I hope this blog will continue to exist for a very long time.;)
Thank you! 🙂