Revealing the Hidden Life.

Nick Smith talks to wrestler Ben English, aka The VIP, about his experiences of coming out in the world of professional wrestling

“Professional wrestlers are not the most politically correct group, but the messages of support I received from my peers were incredible.”

Revealing the Hidden Life.

Damon Galgut talks about his novel Arctic Summer, what drew him to EM Forster, and how Forster’s hidden life brought on his writer’s block.

“I’m fascinated, in a literary sense, by that: what happens if you don’t express what you’re feeling? I’m interested in what’s not said, what’s not acted upon, and the kind of plot that might arise from inaction”

WIN DVD!

WIN I Am Happiness on Earth, a film by Julián Hernández, released by Peccadillo Pictures.

The Photography of J-DART.

A gallery celebrating the human body, stripped bare and juxtaposed by either the space they inhabit, or an artificial environment created from abstract projections.

Polari August Bona-nza: I Want to be a Porn Star!

What is it about the lure of exhibitionism? An anonymous writer explores the lure of wanting to be in a porn film.

“Yes, I want to be in porn. I would like to give it a go, but not necessarily make it a career path. I am long past being awkward about my body, and terrified of my own sexuality. “

Polari’s August Bona-nza: Girls on Cam.

Carrick McDonald talks to webcam model Jenna Thalia about the politics of performance, bossy clients, and coming to terms with her bisexuality..

“I’m pretty open to try things once though. I’m so curious about everything. I suppose that makes me a kinkster.”

Bodies that tell stories.

Julián Hernández’s talks about his film I Am Happiness On Earth, which utilises its character’s bodies as a way of story-telling.

“The characters in I Am Happiness On Earth communicate using their bodies; when they’re being intimate with one another, they’re incapable of lying, unlike their everyday lives, when they lie through words.”

Polari August Bona-nza: The Sound of Porn.

How do you get the right soundtrack to a porn film? Marcus Reeves writes about how he scored an Ashley Ryder film, and found a new direction for his own music.

“Writing the music itself was fairly difficult, as it had to be rhythmic and repetitive without being too distracting – writing catchy melodies is great for pop songs but most people aren’t watching porn to be left with a song to hum along to in the shower.”

Queer Words.

Age of Consent tells the story of London sex club The Hoist. Director Charles Lum talks about how the it grew into a wide-ranging piece of queer social history.

“I have to say that if you’re gonna talk on and on about history it gets a little dry, so you have to add a little spice to that to grease the hard facts with a little liquid enjoyment!”

Polari’s August Bona-nza: Naked Books.

The founders of Naked Boys Reading talk about how it mixes body and mind, and how a naked reading can change the meaning of a work in unexpected ways.

“It’s always interesting to see how the nakedness, which many people think would overshadow the literature, actually takes a step back as soon as the readers start reading and the audience gets involved in the text rather than the body reading it.”