On Act Naturally

“Costume Designer: Madre Naturaleza.” This quick joke, hidden in plain sight among the opening credits of Act Naturally, is just one of the many little jewels in this NDST-friendly film’s treasure chest. Screenwriter and director JP Riley has crafted an all-around terrific film that works so well on so many different levels: it’s a primerContinue reading “On Act Naturally”

Nude Immersions

I’ve recently read a couple of books related to naturism and nudity, and specifically to the idea of immersion: in water, in nature, in social nudism. Janet Lembke’s Skinny Dipping (University of Virginia Press, 1994) is a collection of essays revolving around the theme of nature and human nature, or as the subtitle says, “andContinue reading “Nude Immersions”

Disrobing Suspense: Conclusions

This last post presents some concluding remarks culled from follow-up exchanges with the writers I’ve profiled here, followed by an example of my own work. Again, many thanks to fellow writers Grace Crowley, Tom Pine, and Cor van de Sande, whose imaginative works and friendly correspondence are sources of inspiration to me. Special thanks toContinue reading “Disrobing Suspense: Conclusions”

Disrobing Suspense: Tom Pine

The third profile on the “Disrobing Suspense” series is Tom Pine, who has written numerous, very inventive naturist stories available on his site The Naked Truth Naturists. He has published novels, some of which are also naturist in content: The Neighbors, Father Al Takes a Vacation, and Father Al Has a Birthday Party. He hasContinue reading “Disrobing Suspense: Tom Pine”

Disrobing Suspense: Grace Crowley

*This post has been updated. Since the time of the interview (July 2012), the artist has transitioned and now identifies as Grace Crowley (formerly Stephen).*   The second guest profile on “Disrobing Suspense” is Grace Crowley, famous for the Loxie & Zoot and The Bare Pit webcomics series, featuring Loxie, Zoot, Willow, Tash, Mungo andContinue reading “Disrobing Suspense: Grace Crowley”

Disrobing Suspense: Cor van de Sande

Do you like a good whodunnit, murder mystery, or spy thriller? There is a huge market for books and films like these, and obviously many people love them. But if you’re a writer who’s not littering your text with corpses or carefully planned clues and red herrings, how do you engage suspense–the tension that makesContinue reading “Disrobing Suspense: Cor van de Sande”

Know What Censorship Is

Censorship is ignorance. How to fight it? Read more about naturism, including Co-ed Naked Philosophy! The excerpt below is based on an actual incident a few years ago in Florida, involving a complaint about a lawn-statue replica of Michelangelo’s David:     Censorship resulting from a “concerned citizen”? To their credit, the Channel 5 news teamContinue reading “Know What Censorship Is”

Naked Rambler of the 19th-C. Andes

He assumed several names.He rambled over many nations, nude whenever possible.He set up schools wherever he went.And he was the tutor of Simón Bolívar, the famous South American Libertador. Portrait of Simón Rodríguez, Gabriel D´Empaire Simón Carreño was born and orphaned in Spanish colonial Caracas, Venezuela in 1769. In his teens he changed his surnameContinue reading “Naked Rambler of the 19th-C. Andes”