Paying for it by Chester Brown

Paying for it by Chester Brown

A CONTEMPORARY DEFENSE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSION

Chester Brown has never shied away from tackling controversial subjects in his work. In his 1992 book, The Playboy, he explored his personal history with pornography. His bestselling 2003 graphic novel, Louis Riel, was a biographical examination of an extreme political figure. The book won wide acclaim and cemented Brown's reputation as a true innovator.

Paying for It is a natural progression for Brown as it combines the personal and sexual aspects of his autobiographical work with the polemical drive of Louis Riel. Brown calmly lays out the facts of how he became not only a willing participant in but a vocal proponent of one of the world's most hot-button topics--prostitution. While this may appear overly sensational and just plain implausible to some, Brown's story stands for itself. Paying for It offers an entirely contemporary exploration of sex work--from the timid john who rides his bike to his escorts, wonders how to tip so as not to offend, and reads Dan Savage for advice, to the modern-day transactions complete with online reviews, seemingly willing participants, and clean apartments devoid of cliched street corners, drugs, or pimps.

Complete with a surprise ending, Paying for It provides endless debate and conversation about sex work and will be the most talkedabout graphic novel of 2011.

Dr. Chester Brown is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney's School of Law, a Barrister at Sydney's 7 Selborne Chambers, and a door tenant at Essex Court Chambers in London and Maxwell Chambers in Singapore. He formerly worked as an Assistant Legal Adviser at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London and as a Senior Associate at Clifford Chance LLP in London's International Law and International Arbitration Group. He is the author of the ASIL Certificate of Merit-winning book A Common Law of International Adjudication (OUP, 2007). He went to Melbourne, Oxford, and Cambridge universities for his education.