Sex Ed Book Club #3: Pleasure Anatomy - adrienne maree brown
Most of us have been taught that pleasure is something you earn. After the work. After the to-do list. After everyone else is taken care of. A little reward, if there's time and energy left over (and let's be honest, there usually isn't).
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown flips that whole idea on its head. Drawing on the black feminist tradition, she calls in a politics of healing and happiness that explodes the myth that changing the world is just another form of work.
What if pleasure wasn't the reward for the revolution. What if pleasure was the revolution? What if reclaiming joy, rest, sex, satisfaction, and feeling good was actually one of the most radical things we could do, especially as women?
This book is a collection of essays, interviews, and conversations with thinkers like Audre Lorde, Sonya Renee Taylor, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. It covers everything from sex and desire to drugs, money, burnout, work, and how we relate to our own aliveness. It's the book that gives you permission to take pleasure seriously, and to stop apologising for wanting more of it!
This evening, we're getting into it together!
What this is:
A women-only, no-pressure online book club where we chat about the most important themes of the book, what surprised us, what cracked something open, and how it lands in real life. Read the whole thing? Amazing. Read half? Welcome. Didn't read it at all but the topic intrigues you? Also welcome. This is not homework. This is a conversation.
A little note on the book itself: it's a collection, so you don't have to read it linearly. Pick the chapters that pull you in, skim the ones that don't, come back to the rest later. Paper, e-book, or audiobook all work great for this one. And I'll be bringing my paper copy because I'm a chronic highlighter and I love a marked-up book!
Some of the themes we'll dive into together:
What pleasure activism actually is and why it matters, especially now.
The idea of pleasure as a political act, not a luxury.
How we've been taught to feel guilty for feeling good, and what shifts when we stop.
The relationship between rest, joy, sex, and liberation.
What it looks like to start designing a life where pleasure isn't the afterthought, it's the foundation.
We'll move through discussion, breakout rooms in smaller groups, and plenty of space to laugh, reflect, and connect. You'll never have to share anything you don't want to. You'll leave with new insights, fresh ideas, and probably a few "oh, I'm allowed to want that?" moments.
The vibe?
Warm. Curious. Shame-free. There will be "oh, this is hitting different" moments. There will be quiet "I didn't realise how much I was holding back" realisations. There will be zero judgment, zero pressure, and a whole lot of laughter. You'll leave with a deeper sense of permission, and probably wanting to text every woman you love!
Who this is for:
Women who are curious about the themes in Pleasure Activism, whether you've read every page, skimmed a few essays, or just heard about the book and want in on the conversation. All experience levels welcome.
The details:
Thursday 1 October 2026 20:00 CET
90 minutes Online via Zoom (link sent after registration)
Read what calls you. No need to read it all.
About your host:
I'm Janine, a certified integrative sex coach and sex educator. I create spaces where nothing is too much, no question is off-limits, and your wholeness is treated as the serious (and joyful) thing it is. Everything I hold is trauma-informed, confidential, and built on one belief: your body already knows. We're just going to help you listen.
Come as you are. Read the book or don't. Let's talk!