Authorship Participants Brangien Davis, Jennifer Borges Foster and Kate Lebo ask you to join the experiment!
Over the next month, writers Brangien Davis, Jennifer Borges Foster and Kate Lebo will be working on a literary experiment in which each writer will create her own erasure of a book called The Impatient Virgin, by Donald Henderson Clarke (1931). As a companion to this experiment in authorship, we are encouraging you to send us the stories of your own loss of virginity (whether you were impatient or uncomplaining).
On the evening of November 10, during a presentation at The Project Room, audience members and/or the writers will read a few of the best submitted stories aloud—but with no author attribution. After all, though each person’s virginity-loss story feels deeply personal, themes recur across populations, with more similarities emerging than differences.
Some guidelines:
1. The word limit is 500. If your story exceeds 500 words, we won’t post it.
2. We’re looking for good stories—not porn. (Although some of your details may delight us, we’re not looking to be titillated.)
3. We want to know the concrete details—not just how it felt psychologically, but what were the actual circumstances? Were you alone with your paramour or surrounded by drunken partiers? What did the wallpaper look like? (Or the car’s upholstery?) What season was it? Was it night or day? Were crickets chirping? Were you in love?
4. We know losing your virginity may have been awkward, painful, embarrassing, sad or unwanted. We’re open (no pun intended) to hearing all stories—from exuberant to depressing to run of the mill. Extra credit if you actually lost your virginity in a mill.
5. Another question to consider: Why did you lose your virginity when you did? Peer pressure? Trying to prove you were or weren’t gay? Rebelling against your parents? Madly in love? Tired of waiting around?
Please send your stories to somethingsonlyhappenonce@gmail.com. They will be posted at somethingsonlyhappenonce.blogspot.com.
Important! As part of the experiment in authorship, your story will be posted to the website anonymously. If, in addition, you wish to keep your identity secret from the writers (who will be reading email submissions), simply create a fake email address and use that to send in your story.
Thanks for playing!