A book uses humour to confront truths about sex and relationships

Giving readers and writers the chance to connect with the sensual sides of themselves and each other; that’s the idea behind a new collection of short non-fiction stories coming out just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Grown-up themes ahead – intimacy, desire, and the vulnerable bits. Not for younger readers. Read gently at your own pace.” So begins Pillow Talk: Real People, Real Stories, Real Awkward.

Pillow Talk is the first in a series of titles from Awfully Hilarious Books, a new imprint of New Westminster-based Tidewater Press. The book is billed as “raw, real, and ridiculously relatable stories of sex, intimacy, and pleasure.”

It covers everything from asexuality to polyamory – subjects written about, but rarely ever brought up in polite conversation.

“It depends on the culture you were raised in,” said co-editor Heather Hendrie.

“I grew up in the more WASP-y, stiff upper lip, sweep things under the rug kind of culture. So, it’s quite edgy for me that I’ve landed in this position, leading Awfully Hilarious into conversations about the very cringy. I like to say that this genre that we’re exploring, we would call it Cringe Lit.”

Hendrie is not only a writer but also a nature-based therapist and clinical counsellor. She co-founded Awfully Hilarious “to end shame, uplift women’s health, and destigmatize mental health.”

Hendrie says the goal of the book is to break down stigma and undermine harmful narratives using storytelling and humour.

“And we do it in what I’d like to say is a playfully provocative way,” she said.

“So, we use humour and real people’s experiences to play at the edges of what conversations are socially acceptable. So, really, the larger mission is to foster conversation around things that matter that have historically not had a lot of airtime.”

Pillow Talk – Bookshelf

Hendrie hopes the reader will not only enjoy these 17 stories but perhaps see a reflection of themselves, too.

“People are writing their stories, and then the reader will read it and think, ‘OMG, same! OK, I’m not alone out there. Thank goodness I’m not alone!’ So, it’s giving people a breath of fresh air in moments where they would otherwise feel isolated. And we do that through the vulnerability and connection and of course the humour.”

The titles of the stories include “Menage A Moi,” “Rhymes with Tennis,” and “Young, Hot, and Infertile,” among others.

“We really didn’t censor or leave anything off the page,” said Hendrie.

Indeed, she says there was no topic that was too racy or too taboo for the book. Hendrie is particularly proud of a story called “Pineapples in the Snow” by Kate Heskett.

“[It’s] an excellent story about an exploration, a joyful, playful exploration, of polyamory set in Whistler. And that’s really an edgy zone. And we’re excited to publish it because there’s so little conversation about that now in the mainstream. So that’s one that stands out to me, actually.”

Ultimately, Hendrie says Pillow Talk is all about highlighting shared experiences between readers and writers.

“It’s about connecting with one another, normalizing these moments, and recognizing some of the universality in these pain points such that we’re not having to carry them alone,” she said.

Pillow Talk: Real People, Real Stories, Real Awkward was edited by Angelina Jimenez and Heather Hendrie. It is published by Tidewater Press.