Susie Bright has never done things the conventional way. When the sex-positive icon, author, and Audible Editor-at-Large recently celebrated her marriage—that most traditional of milestones—The New York Times that the event came after the relationship had already spanned three decades, a blended family arrangement, and a life-altering pandemic, which all but forced the issue.
Now, the trailblazing "sexpert" has ended her long-running podcast, In Bed with Susie Bright, in an era when people are much more likely to be starting one—maybe even as listeners—for the first time.
Susie's first episode was in December of 2000, before there was such a thing as a "podcast" or an iPod, and the newly minted host resorted to describing it as “an internet audio program.”
If the name was clunky and the tech inexplicable, the listening experience was anything but.
As a freelance reporter active across the thriving print and book-publishing scene of the ’80s and ’90s, not to mention deeply embedded in the erotica renaissance, Susie brought a frank, approachable delivery that was a natural fit for the new medium. In fact, the startling thing about listening to In Bed with Susie Bright: A Look Back—a special retrospective compiling nine of Susie's favorite episodes, included in Audible Plus—is how contemporary (and prescient) the recordings sound today.
Well, one of the most startling things.
There are quite a few jaw-dropping and juicy moments featured in IBWSB, and with Susie’s help, we rounded up nine of them. If any of these get your motor running, you’ll want to check out the entire archive of episodes—with 18 seasons, it’s anything but a one-night stand.
1. Susie’s hot take on “sex addiction” is still bracingly on point, a dozen years later. Also in this episode: a listener spills what dancing and bartending have taught her about sex (it's not what you think!).
2. Sex-positivity guru Betty Dodson makes a compelling case for anal sex for seniors. Also in this episode: Betty and Susie discuss the G-spot, and a listener describes her kinky road to coming-of-age.
3. Legendary Shakespearean porn star, the Jamie Gillis, reveals what porn stars know about getting themselves off. Also in this episode: Susie accepts admonishment from a listener whose son has autism.
4. A month before she took her life, the famous “DC Madam” Deborah Jeane Palfrey opens up to Susie about why Washington political hypocrisy was particularly cruel to sex workers. Also in this episode: Susie's advice on what it means when a gay man sleeps with his best girlfriend.
5. Sex legend Tristan Taormino has Susie in stitches with her advice about female G-spot orgasms: the original squirt! Also in this episode: Susie answers the age-old question: "How come I have the hots for the certifiably insane?"
6. Juan Thompson, son of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, reveals his dad was...squeamish about sex? Susie and Hunter were old friends who often talked about their kids and how they wanted to handle their last years, and Juan describes living up to a mythic reputation.
7. Of course, sex therapist Esther Perel has thoughts on bed death—but how do they compare with Susie's? Also in this episode: Susie gets a hilarious offer to be on the reality TV show, Wife Swap.
8. Want your kids to be sex-positive adults? Eager to avoid your own parents' mistakes? Susie has a six-point plan—and much empathy. Also in this episode: an emotional interview with somatic coach Staci Haines. For survivors, this is a must-listen.
9. It seems some Catholics are following the word of the Lord—and one of those words is...fisting? You might be surprised at what’s in Christian marriage manuals. Also in this episode: a letter from Anita Hill, plus a very hands-on superstition from Italy.
Listen in on 'In Bed with Susie Bright'
In this clip from the episode 'A Survivor's Guide to Sex', Susie talks to somatic coach Staci Haines about the complex process of healing and rehabilitation.
