Welcome Back, Lorelei Lee

Because I am married to the church, it is permissible to have innocent crushes. That is why it was ensaddening when Lorelei Lee announced a hiatus from porn last year that I was certain would be permanent. I admit that I am dubious of some people who call themselves "sex positive", thinking that a more accurate term might be "fraudulent" or at the very least "intolerant", but for me Lee is the real deal, writing about her work as a porn performer with insight, vulnerability, and a sadder-but-wiser tone that still remains hopeful.

Join us after the gap to find out what she's been up to.

"I needed to write," Lee explained when I asked why she suspended her work for films such as "Interracial Hole Stretchers", "Upload", and "Submitted for Your Approval". "So I took some time off to focus on that."

The result is a gig with the Sex Workers' Art Show, a touring production that might be coming to your town in January and February. Lee joins "I Love Dick"'s Chris Kraus, Annie Oakley, Tre Vasquez, and Krylon Superstar, among others, on a 26-city tour showcasing staged readings and performances of the members' work.

The tour begins in Portland on January 17 and hits LA a few days later. Prior to this, Lee visited the AVN Expo to reconnect with a few friends.

Lee, 26, took her porn name from Marilyn Monroe's character in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes".

"You're not one of those performers who looks at the business with an especially jaundiced eye."

"No," she said. "I was never on the superstar track, but I also have a lot of people I really like, and I missed them."

Lee lives in San Francisco where I caught up with her as she was folding zines. She went to school and worked as a waitress during her break. She has said that she likes to check in and make sure that she can still do other things.

Lee reunited with fetish-friendly friends Annette Schwarz, Adrianna Nicole, and Madison Young in Vegas, and deems the reunion trip a qualified success.

"I always feel absolutely exhausted after the first day there," she said.

· Lorelei Lee on MySpace (myspace.com)
· Sex Workers Art Show (sexworkersartshow.com)