Read This!

If you’re getting this as an email and you’re clicking to read it, thank you! At the end there are some almost naked, almost political, almost thought provoking pictures of me as a reward, so keep reading!

I’ve been writing a memoir, and I don’t want to publish it. The thing about all good memoirs is that they’re intensely personal. Once they’re published, anyone can read all your intensely personal angst for $14 or whatever that you get like $2 of, and it sucks. I’m really grateful for Michelle Tea, Ruth Fowler, and all the people that have been willing to put themselves out there like that. I’m not. Right now, and probably ever.

The other thing about book writing, is that there is no interaction! When I wake up in the morning and look at what I wrote the night before there are no comments! I miss you guys! Even more than missing you guys, I wonder about the value of writing when it is done, and then read, in isolation with no interaction between the reader and writer. I’ve wanted to have a conversation with every single author who’s book I’ve read. And I’d like to have a conversation with everyone who reads anything I write, to at least know who they are and how my stories relate to or mingle with their lives.

But I don’t want to blog again, not like this. I really never want to make my life an open book on the anonymous internet ever again. It was great while I was doing it, but I also learned how it can change relationships when a town full of people you’ve known for years are suddenly given the url to your life (mostly, oddly, because a lot of people apparently have low reading comprehension, and they read A and then assume B, and tell your customers C and D).

What I want is to blog intensely and personally like I did here, but more privately.

And, maybe I just have an inflated sense of worth from stripping, but I feel like my unique experiences, weird passionate thought processes, and hopefully kind of good writing are worth something. Think of it like a serial novel or a book in progress that updates most days.

Here’s what I’m going to do – if you have stuff in common with me and I want you in my little internet world (like, if you’re a magical music making van dwelling stripper, or you’ve ever lived in a vehicle, or we’ve stripped together), or if I read your blog for free, or if you love me but have not so much money, you’ll get the password for free. For everyone else, the password will probably be like $5/month or $10/3 months.

Here’s the survey part: raise your hand (I mean, leave a comment) if you’d pay a few bucks a month to read my awesome writing about cabin living and stripping and berry picking and birch spirits and phone sex and ghosts and sugar daddies and beautiful weird people almost every day.

Okay, if you read this far, here’s your reward:

77 comments

  1. I’ll pay you! Or trade you whatever you’d like. I love you and I have some money for your words. I am also intrigued by this idea of yours and would love to see it succeed. Also, I know your stories are so, so worth it.

  2. Hi Hobostripper. Long time admirer, first time poster. I’ve loved your eclectic blog, and recommended it to many of my friends. I’ve also lived in a vehicle for 3 years, a Toyota Landcruiser 4wd, when my partner and I travelled around outback Australia 3 times. I don’t have much money these days, so I hope you’ll be kind enough to share the password with me. Ciao, and thanks.

  3. Hi Hobostripper. Long time admirer, first time poster. I’ve loved your blog, and recommended it to many of my friends. I’ve also lived in a vehicle for 3 years, a Toyota Landcruiser 4wd, when my partner, a nature photographer, and I, travelled around outback Australia for 3 years. I don’t have much money these days so I hope you’ll be kind enough enough to share the password with me. Ciao, and thanks.

  4. I would pay a small fee to keep reading your writing. I enjoyed the blog you had, enjoyed your unique perspective. i can see, in hindsight, your views helped me a great deal in developing a healthy attitude towards sex work. Sure, it’s not all roses, but I can bounce back.

    Also, I quite enjoy your natural remedies. I read your post on lavender, and picked some up the next time I saw it. It does work for everything!

    I miss checking up on your blog and seeing your perspective.

  5. Yessssss! We’re ushering in a new era, here. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s different than blogs as the world has known them, so far. The comments on my site about broke my heart, so I don’t think I could ever charge for my posts, especially since right now I’m not doing anything very interesting. But right before I gave up I decided that what would make the most sense would be to charge like a one-time fee- five bucks- for life. Because if you have enough readers, it’s still worth it, you know? And everyone can afford that.

    I bet your readers would totes pay. They want you back! They’re still standing in the stadium, stomping their feet-

    Also, if you’re actually going to use this thing, I guess I could change to a different theme… even though this is the best one. πŸ˜‰

  6. Namaste! ^.^ I’ve been reading your blog well over a year now – stumbled upon it while looking for herbalists and also found my second love – van dwelling.

    If I can manage it, I would love to pay to continue to follow your story. You are – and have been – living my dream. Your words have always inspired encouragement and wisdom, taught me tips and tricks (as well as just plain being a kick ass read, heh!). Thanks to your blog I now have completely different (and, I believe, a much more honest) view of strippers, sex workers, and really, sex in general. πŸ™‚

    I’ve always appreciated and looked forward to your posts, I only wish that I’d commented more to show it… And while I’m sad to see this blog go away, I’m also excited at you’re writing a memoir!

    Your blog inspired me to take a huge leap of faith last year, when a crazy lovely friend of mine took off for California, hitchhiking and living in my car for almost two months. It changed both our lives, that’s for sure.

    Now, my writing tends to be a bit long winded, but it’s a crazy story and you are MORE than welcome to check it out. ^.^

    I would love to continue to read your own saga. So, lemme know. ^.^

    Peace. <3

  7. fucking priceless.

    same goes for the value of the private serial blogging idea, which i’d pay for if i didn’t qualify for vehicle-dwelling, free-blogging, not-so-much-money-having (but tara-loving), magical musicaid (i hear you accept this in lieu of hard cash). i think it would be great. also, i think carrot is on to something, and you should definitely follow through with this “totes” concept, and print up some hobo stripper tote bags that we can all use at the grocery store and SAVE THE PLANET NO PROBLEM!

    oh hey, how’s about “man fucks man”…

    subject / verb / mr. object?

  8. “What the hell is that?” A lot of fun if the man is me.

    I’ll come up with $5 a month or $10 a quarter if need be. It’s worth it. I certainly miss your writing on the blog, and I agree about the two-way communication. It might have to wait until I’m working full-time again, though.

    Of course, that’s only because you are your own unique self. I’m not paying for ordinary stuff I could get for free anywhere. You add something to any of that. The pictures above, for example. There are sexy pictures all over the Internet, but ones with style and imagination are another matter.

  9. I’ve loved reading your stories. You have a wonderful way with words and I really do appreciate all you have to say and share.

    All that said, I can’t say that I would pay for access to your blog. I understand your need for privacy and respect that. But with the economy what it is, I’d rather be able to pay for my internet in general than to read a single blog.

    I hope everything works out well for you, and that you make the money you need for you to share your life with those able to pay for it.

  10. I’ve only recently stumbled on your blog, but going back over your past entries, yes, of course I’d pay to continue reading. I pay to read books that aren’t half as good.

  11. I love reading your blog, it’s an escape.. but I wouldn’t be able to pay.. I’m a SAHM with a special needs kid. So if I can’t read anymore I would like to thank you for giving me an escape for the past year or so every now and then!

  12. I’ll happily “sponsor” you for $5 / month, I’ve always enjoyed your writing and I think that what you do is fascinating. My own life was grounded at a very young age β€”Β teen-aged motherhood has a way of doing that β€” and I enjoy living vicariously through someone who can fly freely. (That, and I haven’t the temperament for it anyway. πŸ˜‰ )

  13. I would absolutely come up with the money somewhere. I enjoyed reading your blog & was very sad to see it end. Through you, I’ve gotten into herbalism. Through your blog, I’ve learned to love my body more. I don’t do anything super special but, my friend Anita and I are crafters and just vended our first big faire this past weekend. We’re going to make a variety of stuff, but have started off with chocolate roses and clay devil horns. I met the most interesting people at The Wicked Faire in NJ. If we branch out and do more faires, maybe I’ll start a photo blog. Anyways, count me in πŸ˜‰

  14. I only recently found your site through vandwellers, so I haven’t commented much. But I enjoy your writing, hope you keep it up, and it is worth paying for.

  15. Pay for HoboStripper? You fucking betcha. How much…

    I’m unemployed at the moment, so I wouldn’t be able to pay much. I’ve paid one-time-fees in the past without a problem, similar to Carrot Quinn’s idea. Maybe quarterly, but I doubt I could handle monthly.

    I still think that paying is worth it though.

  16. I’ll be honest: even $40 a year is a LOT to me. It would be hard coming up with the dough. But I completely agree with your feelings on memoirs and the consequences of being so open to absolutely everyone, near and far. So, maybe making this a smaller world could make it easier for you *and* your audience to be more open with each other, which would be great. Readers could share their stories in response to yours without worrying about the wrong people piecing together their identity from the details (I’m trying to figure this out for my own blog right now too). This could be a good thing for sure, and I do like your offering a fee waive or trade/exchange thing for all those who don’t have the 40-60 bucks.

  17. Yes I would pay! I LOVE your writing! and I like the idea of you getting some $$ for it. I’m working on an idea for a blog where i”d get paid a bit for it, so hell ya!

  18. Yes, I’d definitely pay to read your blog. I’ve been reading it for about a year now, and I feel like I miss you, although we’ve never met.

  19. I miss reading about your life and your crazy insights and observations. I learnt stuff from reading you that I otherwise wouldn’t know, and I carry that with me. So, yes, I’d pay something to read more about what’s going on in your head and in your wild places.

  20. ABSOLUTELY. I’ve just adored the stuff you’ve written in the past, and itched to read more – if I have funds available, I’m in.

  21. I would really love to be a part of your private, blogosphere. It was you that inspired my own blog and still do. I’m still working on my thesis about sex work as a form of resistance against patriarchy, again, inspired by you, which I would love for you to read after much revising that it needs. I don’t have very much money, but I would pay to read about your world. And yes, it is worth something, it’s priceless.

    Of course I would love to get the password for free. I never had the pleasure of stripping with you when I used to strip, I haven’t lived in a van but I have lived in a tree house if that counts for anything.

  22. Always enjoyed reading your perspective on life and all it’s little issues. You live your life so differently than most people do and it’s neat to see someone who’s not afraid to be different.

    I enjoy your blog very much but…. I’ve been living on welfare for four years while fighting disability claims and there just isn’t any money left over for nicities. I’m not getting bills paid as it is, just wouldn’t be proper to spend money I don’t have.

    Take care. πŸ™‚

  23. I can barely afford to eat so I don’t really have the means to pay… but you words have always given me a lot of hope and comfort. I hope I can keep reading your lovely writing!

  24. I’m sooo excited to see you’re writing again. I could technically afford the cash to read your writing, and would pay if pressed, but as an unvandwelling college student who’s medication is $1500 a month, in addition to dumbass CA budget financial aid cuts, I’d love the free password if you’d be so kind. I can pay you in musical bell-poems! (see blog πŸ™‚ )

    You and some other ladies are the whisper of wilderness, balanced ferocity-medicine I need in mah citycitydislabeled, and if you’re going to start bloggin again I’m not giving that up. Big big love from the SF Bayrea <3

  25. hey
    really like your writing.

    I am a poor writer in India and just started with my first job and make about 320 dollars a month.
    Also i have no credit card to pay with.
    I can has free passwd? And I do not need the pictures.

  26. Yes! Although sometimes real life gets to me and I think before I make a purchase, so I might not buy immediately – hopefully I can read the archives!

  27. Yesss! I’m not rolling in cash, but believe in supporting fellow artists as much as possible. So yes, I would pay to read your blog memoir whenever I had the funds. You are a wild, wonderful, inspiring, eloquent woman and I’d love to read more.

  28. I would love to read your memoir. I don’t know about paying over and over again, though.

    I would absolutely pay a one-time fee of $15 or $20 to have access to read the whole thing online, at my leisure.

    But if I paid every few months and it took like 3 years for you to finish writing it, I would end up paying more to read it online than I would for an actual paper book, which seems like a bad deal for me, even though I like you. If it ended up costing me $50 to read your memoir, I’d feel ripped off.

    That said, I think your writing is kickass and your life is fascinating, I really miss this blog, and would love to read your memoirs. So glad to hear you’re considering writing them! Good luck!

  29. As a homeschooling mama who is seriously just a paycheck away from homeschooling in a van, I just can not swing any money. We live on the barest of minimums as it is in order to keep our children from the wretched claws of the public school system and provide them with a good education. Internet is our one splurge since educating on a budget would be so much harder without it.

    However, I would be willing to barter for a coveted password. We have a nice collection of books with a little something on just about everything. Just let me know what you like and I could give you a list to choose from.

    If not, the best of luck to you in your stripper, phone sex, van dwelling, berry picking life. πŸ™‚ It’s been great fun!

  30. Hi!
    i would pay you! for sure! i miss your writings. I stumbled upon this blog when i was going through the hardest time of my life – reading your joy helped me find mine. (i emailed you once, but we never met up – i’ve always meant to apologize for that. i’m working on repairing what fell apart during aformentioned bad time. so belatedly: so sorry about that).
    good luck!

  31. I sure would pay. I stumbled on your blog by accident (or maybe not such an accident, if one believes in higher powers) and have enjoyed what I’ve had a chance to read so far.

  32. Yay, I’m glad you guys don’t hate me for charging! Okay, I’m investigating paypal and ccbill and alertpay and stuff and trying to figure out whether to do it here or in a whole new place, and it will probably start March 1st.

  33. I love your stuff too, though I don’t read as often as I should. I’d gladly pay if I had a job — right now I’m unemployed and planning to move up north (though not as far north as Alaska, not just yet) in May, so I have little extra $$$. However, I might just be able to swing a few bucks a month. I do know that Paypal has a “subscribe” function for blogs and other websites. There’s also something called Tipjoy, where people can leave small amounts of money, but the last I checked that only got you an Amazon gift card once you reached a certain dollar amount.

  34. you aren’t writing books like michelle tea because you are too lazy and insecure to do the work involved in getting published. it’s funny how you are pretending this insecurity is something deeper. good luck, though!

  35. Yes, I would pay to read your writing! I don’t have much cash and would love to barter….I, to, am a homeschooling mama and am planning on taking the plunge into homesteading in the near future.
    I have really enjoyed your transporting mislets and am eager for you to bring them forth again.

  36. It’s be hard for me to come up with it, if last year is any indication of my money, but I’m at least theoretically willing to pay.

  37. D^ that’s pretty rude and mean. Do you understand the concept of getting what you give? So, you realize your mean spirit will comeback tenfold? If she was lazy, she wouldn’t be writing at all. If she was insecure, she wouldn’t be a blogger, OR a stripper. That’s probably the biggest oxymoron I’ve read yet! Bwahahaha. LOL. Thanks for my nightly laugh, d.

  38. Tough call… It’s definitely worth paying for, but I, being a compulsive and omnivorous reader, and a major spendthrift, love blogs being free. My motto these days: If I don’t spend it I don’t need to earn it. So, possibly?

  39. Hi!
    I just found your blog about a week ago and I was so fascinated that I couldn’t stop reading it for about three hours. So please don’t lock (r make it payable) it just yet because now I’m really not in a position to affort luxuries like this.:)

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