In 1983 I found my pornography job in The New York Times.
Every now and then, somebody remembers that I've written a book titled Beaver Street: A History of Modern Pornography. It came out in 2011 in the UK and 2012 in the US.
Beaver Street is an investigative memoir based on my 16-years of experience working as an editor for magazines like Swank, Stag, High Society, and countless others—"from the dawn of phone sex to the skin mag in cyberspace." I also did a lot of research.
In the past few weeks I've talked about Beaver Street on a couple of podcasts.
On Madness Cafe, I discuss feminist aspects of the book and the adult entertainment industry with Raquel Howard and Jennifer Bolanos. Raquel and Jennifer loved parts of Beaver Street but hated other parts. Still, this is one of the best conversations I've ever had about the book. The show goes live Thursday, January 23. When it does, you can find it on Apple Podcasts.
Pepper Kat, the host of Spicy Spectrum!, works in the adult entertainment industry. In her latest episode, "Spicy Special: Uncovering Modern Pornography with Author Robert Rosen," we discuss how my experience editing sex magazines has shaped my perspective on culture and media; how adult entertainment mirrors societal shifts; how the portrayal of sexuality in media has evolved alongside changing cultural norms; and how the narratives surrounding adult entertainment impact the broader conversation about identity and freedom of expression.
You can listen here. The audio is a little choppy in parts, and some of the conversation is pretty raw—trigger warning!—but if pornography's impact on American society is a topic that interests you, this is well worth a listen.
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