I Paid for College

Sex Worker Zine!

Bebop — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:26:18 +0000

Things have been slow for IPFC this week. I’d love to devote more time to maintaining this site, but it’s still a side project for me (and it doesn’t pay the bills). It’s a fun side project, but I’m fresh out of school with student loans and a failing economy looming overhead…

In the hopes of putting more time and energy into IPFC, I’m adding yet another side project to the repertoire. I’d like to put together a fun, collaborative zine with contributions from past and current sex workers (not limited to those paying for college). I’m looking to collect short paragraphs, phrases, and “Mad Libs” style sentences with an emphasis on sex positivity and sex work awareness.

I’ll post a few prompts below, and feel free to leave a comment or send an email to ipaidforcollege [at] gmail [dot] com with your contribution!

I am a sex worker because…
I love it when a client…
My friends think…
I’m out to…
I quit my “day job” because…
I kept my “day job” because…
I feel the sexiest when…
To me, a feminist is…
When I’m not working, I’m…
If I could say one thing to make you understand…
I wish someone had told me…

If you post your name/alias, occupation, location, or web address with your contribution, I will include these in the zine. Feel free to include as much or as little additional information as you’d like. When the zine is completed, I’ll send a zillion copies to contributors for distribution!

Best wishes,

Tips from the Pros

Bebop — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:11:15 +0000

Want to increase business and decrease wasted time? Looking for advice on how to handle those “special” fetish calls? Not only are there a number of great online and print resources for escorts, but phone operators and webcam models need not feel left behind!

Amanda Brooks is swell, myHoneysuckle is sweet, and PSO Support is a great place for friendly advice!

More resources

Bebop — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:00:43 +0000

It is a good time to be an activist and advocate. Really…I’m discovering more and more *amazing* resources every day. See: Sex Work Awareness and The Sex Workers Project. I’ll be adding these links permanently to the right-hand side of the page.

Stay sassy, and for those of you on the oppressively humid east coast…stay unmuggy(?).

The Trials and Tribulations of Social Networking

Bebop — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:43:27 +0000

In my recent but dogged quest to create a network of college sex workers, I keep asking one question: “How do you reach a group of people who tries rather hard to remain incognito?” The internet seems like a good start, but what’s the best method? Blogging…social networking sites like Myspace…Craigslist? If anyone has any suggestions, please do let me know. I’m no tech tard, but it’s easy to get discouraged in the early stages of a project.

I’m whipping up a Myspace page, but for someone who is fairly computer literate, it’s probably the most frustrating, slow and buggy interface I’ve ever worked with (barring Windows Vista, which does not claim to be a user-friendly social networking tool).

Playing it Safe

Bebop — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:33:44 +0000

I’m no legal expert, and I don’t have time-tested advice on the screening process. Fortunately, there’s a lot of good information out there about criminal law for sex workers. With the increasing number of sex workers operating independently, it’s important to stay savvy. Of course, no screening process is perfect, but knowing how to spot red flags is a good start.

From SWOPeast: Advice from a criminal lawyer – what NOT to do if you get arrested

From Peridot Ash: Screening Johns and Screening Cops

Happy Hooker Documentary

Bebop — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:30:44 +0000

Reposting a clip that I stumbled upon on Bound, Not Gagged. Xaviera is a legend, and I hope to have the opportunity to see the documentary in its entirety.

Make sure to check out her personal website for more information (or just for fun).

Craigslist

Bebop — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:34:03 +0000

Started posting on craigslist as a way to advertise the IPFC project. My logic is as follows: If we’re looking for stories written by college sex workers, and college sex workers use craigslist to advertise and find gigs, this could be a fast and easy way to reach large numbers of people with relatively little grunt work.

Of course, I had forgotten that craigslist wags a finger at cross-posting, so I’ve been dancing around language barriers in an attempt to share with a large audience what I consider to be important work.

So, if you stumble upon this site and know some folks who fit the bill, please do send them this way.

Sex Workers’ Art Show

Bebop — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:07:25 +0000

Though I missed the show last year, I was fortunate enough to attend a panel discussion with the lovely folks from the Sex Workers’ Art Show. I’m a day late and a dollar short, as the tour has already come and gone, but I’m so glad this project has survived (despite the controversy).

Story Mapping

Bebop — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:20:48 +0000

As a big supporter of collective and community-based art, I really appreciate this project, posted by a guest blogger on Feministe. I like the idea of story mapping. I like seeing a map and linking an identity (however faceless) and a story (however brief) to a visual pinpoint. There’s something about it that makes me feel small but connected.

View Feministe: Strong Geography. in a larger map

Back on Track

Bebop — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:36:19 +0000

Hi everyone. After an 8-month hiatus, the “I Paid for College Project” is back on track and ready to hit the ground running. As the administrator of the website and the muscle behind the project, I wanted to be sure that I was committed to seeing this through. First, this meant graduating from college, which I did in May. Second, this meant pulling my act together, which I’m still working on.

I am finally beginning to actively seek out submissions. This means putting up posters, networking through the blogosphere, and lots of online advertising. If you’d like to be a part of the outreach process, drop an email to ipaidforcollege [at] gmail [dot] com.

‘Til next time!