ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Author Jill Nelson will be appearing at Exxxotica in Atlantic City to sign her new book, “Golden Goddesses.”
The 950-page volume profiles 25 actresses who were active in adult film between 1968 and 1985, when film began to be replaced by videotape as the medium of choice for adult production.
"My intention is to escort readers toward a clearer understanding of the beautiful and intrepid females who favored an alternative profession in adult cinema that was cultivated at the apex of the 1960s sexual revolution," Nelson said. "To suggest that their chosen path has been comfortable or without debris would be false, for as each unfolding story will reveal, experiences for a female employed in the adult entertainment industry during the generation when it was illegal to participate in the production of sex films, were anything but ordinary."
The book has received a number of positive reviews. GoreGoreGirl.com said: “Nelson's agenda-free approach is refreshing in that it allows for the full spectrum of experiences: good, bad, and in between. For this reason, the book is not always a comfortable read. The project prompts questions, provokes critical thinking, and opens up a space for these women to truly voice themselves and their experiences rather than functioning as a ventriloquist's dummy, to borrow Anne McClintock's phrase, for whichever agenda-driven group needs them. Through careful structuring, Nelson manages to narrate these women's stories while at the same time never overshadowing or undermining their voices.”
The release of “Golden Goddesses” was celebrated at two Hollywood launch parties, one at the flagship Hustler Hollywood store on the Sunset Strip and one at Larry Edmunds bookstore on Hollywood Boulevard just down the street from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
Both parties featured appearances by many of the woman involved in the book, including Kay Parker, Veronica Hart, Serena, Rhonda Jo Petty, Amber Lynn, Ginger Lynn, Georgina Spelvin, Annie Sprinkle, Kitten Natividad, Kelly Nichols, Sharon Mitchell, Christy Canyon, Nina Hartley, Laurie Holmes, Julia St. Vincent, Raven Touchstone and Carly Mills, daughter of the late softcore actress Barbara Mills.
"I'm looking forward to Exxxotica," Nelson said. "It’s rewarding to see that people are interested in the history of the adult film industry, as told by the people who were there."
Nelson will have a limited number of copies of “Golden Goddesses” available for purchase, and she will be signing previously-purchased books brought by fans.
Nina Hartley will also be available to sign the book at the booth on a limited schedule.
Exxxotica takes place April 19-21 at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino & Resort, 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J.
