The Real New York City

In this personal zine, Cheryl writes about her experiences working in the sex industry as a dominatrix in downtown New York in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Cheryl writes about the "contradictions and hypocrisies" of the sex industry through vignettes that center around her relationship with her former best friend "Chloe," who Cheryl met in high school. Chloe, who is half-Korean, went to NYU and lived in the East Village before dropping out of college to become a full-time DJ, dominatrix, go-go dancer, and call girl; Cheryl writes about Chloe's abusive boyfriend, drug use, abortion, and relationship to sex work. Cheryl writes about the NYC club scene, work in the wake of 9/11, sexual assault, the difficulties of S&M and fetish work, her relationship with her boyfriend, and Y2K. She gives a description of a typical session in her dungeon; a table of expenses for in-house prostitutes, call girls, and dominatrixes; and a list of clients and their preferences. There is an interview with activist and performance artist Carol Leigh aka Scarlot Harlot and her boyfriend about prostitution as a cultural and social role. The zine has a Bratmobile epigraph and is bound with glittery ribbon. There is a vellum flap covering the pink cover.