August 2019 Newsletter: BC, KS, Melbourne, and beyond!
Hello beautiful beings,
Today I feel deeply blessed. I am sitting poolside in Dallas, enjoying quality conversations and time with people I appreciate. The heat in Texas is intense though, with sweat beading up on brows and gratitude each time I change into a new tank top.
Later this month, I’m looking forward to visiting Vancouver, British Colombia, where I will be teaching “Power Exchange, Energy Exchange” on at Metro Vancouver Kink (MVK). This will be on the way to a cruise with my father and two of my cousins up to Alaska, before heading back through the Kansas City Area. What takes me to that fine neck of the woods? A 3-day bondage and kink campout at Camp Gaea, the 6th Annual RSG Camp. Hopefully you can join me there if you are in the area – it looks to be a fantastic event full of kink, connection, rope, and fun. This will be directly before heading to Melbourne, Australia for Oz Kink Festand other associated events.
It’s hard to believe it is August already though. Have any of you felt that? Between lots of travel and diving deep with beloveds, everything feels like a blur. A quality blur though. Part of that blur? I’m in the midst of recording the audio book for Sacred Kink: The Eightfold Paths of BDSM and Beyond. It is quite the process. I’ve already recorded On Starry Thighs: Sensual and Sacred Poetry, and, fingers crossed, it will be available for purchase on Audible in a month or so.
Why am I doing audio books? I’m frustrated by the low percentage of sexuality books available for those who work long hours, commute, are blind, or do not read for other reasons. Thus, sitting for a few hours at a time 1-2 times a week, including spending the funds provided by my Patreon supporters and earned by my book sales to make it happen. Paying a skilled sound tech who has sexuality community ties is worth it.
How do you choose to spend your funds, and who are they going to? In light of the recent Amazon strike, and how many small businesses are shut downwhen Walmart moves to an area, it’s something all of us need to consider. If you buy a book from a small bookstore, not only does it keep money in your local community, but also more money ends up in the hands of authors. How does Amazon do lower rates? They choose not to make as much profit on any individual item, and make up the profit in number of sales. They undercut the percentage of money a publisher gets from them, and in turn the amount of money an author makes.
So… who do you give your money to? How are you putting your money where your mouth is? Each time we spend, we get a chance to make decisions. This is not to say a person is in some way bad, wrong, or inappropriate to shop at large chains. I certainly do from time to time. I would encourage all of us to reflect though, and make change. A dollar more for a book to a local bookstore is a dollar kept in your town. Support local businesses, support community businesses.
Little things make a difference. You can make a difference.
Yours in passion and soul,
Lee Harrington
(pronouns: he/him/his)
Upcoming appearances:
- Metro Vancouver Kink (MVK)- Vancouver, BC (August 23, 2019): Teaching a class.
- 6th Annual RSG Camp– Kansas City Area (September 6-8, 2019): Teaching rope bondage classes for this intimate camping and kink experience.
- Oz Kink Fest– Melbourne, Australia (September 13-23, 2019): Teaching classes at the weekend Intensive experience and throughout the week, as well as appearances at Fetish Expo, Hellfire Resurrection, and more! See the complete class list and events here.
- Austin RopeCraft – Austin, TX (October 4-6, 2019): Teaching classes and leading a full-day intensive.
- Approachable Power Exchange Conference (APEx)– Denver, CO (October 11-13, 2019): Teaching (Re)Thinking Gender and Open Hearts, Open Minds.
- Delving Into Power: D/s Intensive Weekend Experience – Billerica, MA (October 25-27, 2019): Running a 3-day immersive power exchange intensive. To register, visit this link.
- The Center on Colfax– Denver, CO (November 18, 2019): Leading "Discussing Our Past Lives: Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Folks Sharing Techniques About How To Talk About Our Pre-Transition Histories."
- William Blake Lodge Sacred Kink Initiatory Intensive – Greater Washington DC Area (April 17-19, 2020): Facilitating this three-day immersive educational and ritual experience.