Bobby Blake, if you listen to him tell it, was one of the biggest stars of gay porn videos in the 1990s, and he has plenty of stories to tell. Hence My Life in Porn, co-written by John R. Gordon and published by Running Press, the independent trade behemoth headquartered in Philadelphia. The preface--a thoughtful meditation on the story of the prodigal son--sets Blake up as a deeply religious man who "toils in God's house and strives to do good works." He knows his scripture, he says, because, "like many African-Americans, particularly those [who grew up] in the South, I was brought up in the church, so it's my frame of reference." Blake was a minister before he got into porn. Why he starts exotic dancing, making porn videos and at one point even living as a kept man remains unclear. Blake says he simply found his calling when his life in the adult industry began. For Blake's fans, there are plenty of salacious details in My Life about shooting the films and having rough anal sex with his co-stars. There are sexually graphic tales outside the studio as well. But that's not all. Blake is a puzzle. He's arrogant and oddly matter-of-fact about certain unsavory aspects of his behavior, like when he deliberately broke both of his boyfriends' arms. But he's also quite serious, talking about racism in the industry, gay marriage, life on the down-low and the scourge of HIV/AIDS in the black community. Blake retired from sex-for-money in 2001, and now counsels gay and bisexual men in his Methodist church. He's probably well qualified to do so.
Article:
Season Review
Article:
First Friday Roundup
Article:
“The Producers” Works As A Buddy Comedy
Article:
When in Doubt
Article:
Pentimenti Gallery’s Latest Features Local Artists New to the Space
Blog:
Fill In The Blanks: An Horse
Article:
Napoléonic Ode
Article:
Love and War
1. conversationsbookclub said... on Jul 9, 2008 at 06:44AM
“Love this! I did an interview with Bobby Blake about the book. You can read it here: http://authorstaketen.blogspot.com/2008/06/conversations-exclusive-our-interview.html He is very thoughtful and fascinating.”
2. said... on Mar 21, 2009 at 11:29PM
“does anyone have an email address for bobby?”