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Best Place to Buy Condoms/ Best Sex-toy Shop, Winner
Venus Envy
Address: 1598 Barrington Steet
Phone: 422-0004
“We’re an education-oriented sex shop,” says owner Shelley Taylor, which nicely differentiates what they do from the average dildo emporium or fetish boutique. Though the store was started with idea of working with women and the queer community, half of Venus Envy customers are now men, and it offers for customers regular readings, workshops and art shows, as well a bursary program, raising university money for women and trans people. And, on top of all this, Venus Envy is a bookstore. “We are improving people’s lives by being sex positive,” says Taylor. “People really are using us as a resource.”

Shop tax free at Venus Envy Halifax from November 19th til the 23rd and stock up for the holidays! Or maybe a treat yourself to a little something something...
(This is only available in the store, not online.)

We are offering free shipping to Canadian addresses for orders over $50 from November 19 to the end of the year!

It's our biggest sale of the year!
December 27th—10% off
December 28th—20% off
December 29th—30% off
All Toys!!
Get 'em while the getting's good!
Also, don't forget to check out the Cheap-o Bin for fabulous deals!

On facebook? Of course you are ... look for the 'Friends of Venus Envy' group for up-to-the-minute news about workshops, sales, and more.

Caught Looking: Erotic Tales of Voyeurs and Exhibitionists
eds. Alison Tyler and Rachel Kramer Bussel

Reviewed by Megan Butcher

Since "sexy" is an entirely subjective matter, erotica is a hard thing to review. What makes me reach for my vibrator might put you to sleep. Or turn you on so much you come before you flip the on switch. It's a crap shoot.

Instead, I will tell you is to read the introductions carefully. If you know you fall neatly into the voyeur category, read Bussel's intro; an exhibitionist? Read Tyler's. They sum up the stories that suit their kink.

Those of us who like a smidgen of each can handily dive right in at any point. My suggestion however, would be to start at the second story, "Room With a View". An interesting situation, well written, good characters. Many of the stories in Caught Looking follow this example. "Stars Fell Down" has some turns of phrase. "The Poet, Dying" is a scene out of the ordinary, not to mention the only boy-boy sex in the collection. The voice in "Walled Lake Girl" stands out starkly from the others.

The normal erotica problems rear their ugly heads. Why does everything have to be bigger, better, shoot further, shout louder? It's tiring and boring. A few of the stories bog themselves down in needless detail ("Curtain Call") or irritating repetition ("My Finest Hour") or characters so trite they grate ("Tight Spots").

Caught Looking probably isn't going to be for everyone. It's made for those among us who get off on watching and being watched. People who have zero interest in the topic might be interested in the, uh, meat of the sex scenes, but might find the watching and performance aspects distracting.

Still, there's a lot of good sex writing in here and as a collection, it's pretty well put together. If you're looking for a new twist on old sexy favourites, this would be worth your hot and bothered.

3rd Annual Auction and Brunch!
In support of The Youth Project

Enjoy a relaxed & fun atmosphere while bidding on some great items! Antiques, housewares, holiday items, electronics, B&B weekends, art & much more!! All proceeds go towards making Nova Scotia a happier, safer and healthier place for LGBT youth, their families and friends.

debit/cheque/cash accepted
Cash bar!
Tickets: $25.00. To get more information about how to purchase tickets call 429-5429

Sunday, December 2nd
Prince George Hotel
1725 Market st (Halifax)
12:00—Open for viewing
1:00—Brunch

Tuesday, November 20, 2007
6:00pm—8:00pm
The Youth Project 2281 Brunswick St.
We will celebrate those who are making a difference in the trans communities by adding more tiles to our Trans Mosiac at the Youth Project. There will also be a reception and readings by trans youth. Everyone is invited—this is a public event and is open to everyone of all ages. Drug and alcohol free.

Unveiling of the Allyson Mitchell commission
7pm-9pm @ The Khyber ICA (FREE)
The unveiling of a commissioned work by Toronto's self proclaimed maximalist artist, Allyson Mitchell will kick off FemFEST 2007. Using domestic materials such as vintage vinyl mat-tac and discarded textiles, Allyson will transform the entranceway of the Khyber Building into an undomesticated world: a fabled forest replete with elusive sasquatches, toadstools, and other mythical woodland creatures.

Opening Reception: Beastie!
10pm—1am ($7 at door, 19+)
In celebration of the Wild and Strange, FemFEST's Beastie! takes over the third floor of the Khyber Building with paintings, animations, myths, tiny animals, caves and lairs.. This show brings together the work of 10 local artists and will run until December 15th. Performances by Amelia Curran Tanya Davis, Erin Costelo and a very special guest...

Anchor Archive/Inkstorm Screenprinting Collective presents: Keen on Zines and Screens!
2pm-5pm @ The Khyber (Pay What You Can)
In this three hour workshop we will put together a cut n' paste zine masterpeice, exploring gender identity in all it's cut n' paste complexity. Participants will be given a brief presentation on the feminist and queer history of zines, and screenprinting will be introduced as an easy and affordable medium for mass-production. Material will be provided, however participants are encouraged to bring any ready-made writing or artwork loosely based on the subject of gender identity.

Deep Lez Film Craft: The Stuffed and Sticky Films of Freeshow Seymour
7pm-9pm @ The CBC Radio Room (Pay What You Can)
Freeshow Seymour is the tag-team alias for the collaborative works of Toronto filmmakers Christina Zeidler and Allyson Mitchell, who have been sharing their love for film craft, thrift shopping, and maximalist approach to art making since 1994. Their collaboration is grounded in "Deep Lez", a posi-core practice of reclaiming diss'ed and discarded feminist root values in performance, writing, organizing, teaching, music, film, sculpture, and installation. Communicating their politics through equally abandoned materials such as hard candy, plastic animal figurines, fun fur, cross stitching, sugar pastries and glitter is their way of saying 'Like 70's kitchen crafts and party snacks, Deep Lez is so uncool, its cool!'
This retrospective resembles your childhood dress-up box and teenage hope chest. Childhood trauma, puberty, fatphobia, queer fantasies, homophobia, feminist epiphanies, misogyny, breakups and breakdowns, ballerina dreams, and ghost pets are the tattered rags that Freeshow Seymour lovingly transform into dazzling celluloid quilts. Wrap yourself in the Deep Lez Love.
Discussion with filmmakers to follow screening.

FemFEST Cabaret
10pm-2am @ The Seahorse
($5 in advance, $7 at the door)
From breakdancing to bellydancing, rock to hip hop, hula hoops to discoballs and pink fun fur- the FemFEST Cabaret promises a night of great music and exciting performances by over 10 acts. With DJ Anderoc & Stump 189.

Made with Deep Love: Craft Show & Tell and Brunch
11am—2pm @ Anchor Archives (Pay What You Can)
Join Anchor Archive and Amy Lynn Kazymerchyk (curator of the Deep Lez Film Craft film screening) for a vegan brunch, artist talk and craft show and tell. Bring your own films, textiles, music and velvet paintings to work on. Share your process, techniques and philosophies with other artists.

FemFEST Craft Fair
12—5pm
Local artists will sell their work.

This November The Khyber Arts Society will be partnering with the Saint Mary's Women's Centre to present the FemFEST art show. FemFEST is an annual celebration of music and visual arts. FemFEST was started by Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy (FemJEPP) in order to provide a platform for performers, poets and artists who identify as part of the women’s and transgendered community. The exhibition will open on November 23rd as part of the weekend’s festivities and remain open to the public through December 19th.

Beastie:
Referring to someone as a beast suggests that their savage traits come at the cost of reason. By contrast Beastie describes a person informed by animal qualities but in no way at the preclusion of logic. In celebration of artists whose practices thrive on carnal fun, the Khyber presents "Beastie" as the exhibited portion of FemFEST.

Starts: Friday, November 23, 2007 at 6:30pm to
Ends: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 5:00pm
Khyber Arts Center
1588 Barrington St

Hey out there, we're looking for artists who want to show at Venus Envy. Our mandate is to show work by women, queer, and trans artists. Tell your friends!
Contact Maggie at 422 0004 for more information and bookings.

Kim Dawn - love her : where lyrical meets elemental

Kim Dawn graduated with her BFA from NSCADU in 1996, her MFA from UWO in 1999. Kim Dawn is an inter-disciplinary artist, performance artist, creative writer, painter, installation artist, mother and a feminist. Dawn currently resides in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia.

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