Thanksgiving is about family, not just genetic but spiritual. Kurt Vonnegut called the people who don’t happen to be related to you but who belong together with you in some more meaningful and fundamental sense your “karass.”
Well, we spent the day before Thanksgiving celebrating the holiday with our karass, the group of smart, confident, body-positive women (and two or three supportive men) who populate New York’s most unusual book club. There were books on hand, ranging from The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin to Stop This Man! by Peter Rabe, but we didn’t get much reading done, not when there was wine to drink and truffle-laced pizza to nibble and chocolate fondue to finish things off; not when there were old friends and new to catch up with, some having come from as far away as Texas and California to be with us; not when there was the joy of lounging about in the warm environment provided by Ayza down on Carmine Street, while outside the giant plate-glass windows freezing sleet was coming down hard. (Ah, the looks we got from some of the startled passers-by! What must they have thought? An oasis in the desert couldn’t look more mirage-like than we must have on this cold, cold, wet day.)
It is a wonderful feeling to share the holiday with people you care about. Getting to share it naked in the heart of Manhattan makes it even better. We wish all of you could have the same opportunity, wherever you might be — if not this time around, then sometime in the not-too-distant future.
And to all the members of our karass, in diaspora around the world, we wish a very happy holiday season. Remember, if you ever find yourself in NYC, you’ve got friends who’d love to meet you.
(How? Simple. Just drop a note to toplesspulpfiction@gmail.com.)
Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful that I discovered the The Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society this year!!
I love The Left Hand of Darkness! It’s hard to find other people who have read it. Definitely an interesting concept, though.
So glad you ladies are able to extend your activities indoors during the cold weather. Obviously you girls were the best thing on the menu that afternoon.
That’s sweet — but you didn’t see the menu. It was pretty terrific.
Looks like fabulous time was had by all
Reblogged this on clothes free life and commented:
A wonderful topless and clothes free thanksgiving gathering report by the topples readers of NYC
Love and greetings from the Netherlands..i live too far away, but often i wish i could be with you.. Also after Reading your blog and seeing the pictures About your Thanksgiving.. Love, Petra
We’d love to meet you some day, Petra. Maybe you’ll come to New York sometime? 🙂
Just wanted to say thanks from England for your posts. We enjoy them greatly so please keep up the crusade. One day if we are lucky enough to visit the big apple we would love to join one of your outings. Happy Christmas to you all x
Mmmmmmmm
Oh, how I’d love to get naked with you all!
Sent from my iPad
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Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for all kinds of strong, beautiful, intelligent women. Thank you for being you.
Great work ladies keep doing it and more will come!
You all look beautiful and free, the food looks totally fantastic, and the photos are really good, packed with beauty, humor, and free spirits! Did anyone go outside and take a photo looking in? 🙂
Stay warm and free!!
Not this time — we talked about it, but it was just too cold and rainy!
It sounds as if you had a very happy Thanksgiving Eve. I believe that rights are a “use it or lose it” thing. So I’d like to thank you for exercising your top free rights. It is to hoped you will keep on normalizing the unclothed human body as you do by simply treating the breast as nothing unusual or worthy of remark. Or at least, unwanted and hurtful remark.
I am also encouraged that some of you chose to exercise your right to be clothes free and use your environment in the default human state of nudity. As one of the nude male models at the NYC Bodypainting Day last July, I can appreciate how much plain, old fun it is to be naked somewhere you aren’t “supposed” to be. Its amazing how quickly you forget you don’t have anything on, isn’t it?
I’m curious though if the complete nudity was just a quick gag for the camera or if management of the restaurant was OK with extended periods of nudity? It would be nice if they just shrugged their shoulders and said, “So what?”.
Nope, it was not a quick gag for the camera. Those of us who went fully nude were fully nude for the whole 2-hour event. And this is the second event we’ve held there.
Good for you!! And the restaurant too! Perhaps the world is changing one bare butt at a time. If I had been there, I would have been naked too. Maybe next time.
Regards.
I’m cool with it, but is it legal to be fully nude when the public can see u inside?
No idea. Clearly it’s legal to walk around naked in your own apartment. Someone might be able to see you there. What if you live in a ground-floor apartment? It’s a question for a better legal mind than mine. But the venue didn’t mind and we didn’t mind, so it’s hard to see why anyone would complain.
If it;s anything like here (Denmark) then it is legal as long as the restaurant gives the go for it. All they have to do is tell any complaintiff that it is part of an event or private arrangement and everybody should be in the clear. Not sure if that is how it is in the States, but I hope so. Then all you have to do is what you already done and point to the pre-arrangements you made with the establishment. I hope that helps.
It’s fine. We’re not facing any complaints.
Hi, great website you have here. Looks like you folks had a good time at your party. Truffle-laced pizza… never had that, but as a dedicated pizza connoisseur, I think I need to give it a try. And chocolate fondu sounds awesome. Especially if it’s dark chocolate.
I looked up Peter Rabe. Donald E. Westlake cited him as a major influence. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of Rabe, as Westlake is my favorite author (and biggest influence as a writer). I’m going to have to read some of his work, and it looks like Stop This Man! is a good place to start.
Have a great holiday season.
Love and greetings from the Lebanon Pa..i live too far away, but often i wish i could be with you.. Also after Reading your blog and seeing the pictures About your Thanksgiving.. Love, David
Who needs clothes when you’re already warm and cozy with friends and spirits?! Cheers girls!
A feast for eyes, body and soul! How lucky you all are to have establishments like that available to you. One tongue-in-cheek question: when you got ready to leave, did you all kiss karass goodbye?
Tongue in cheek, indeed.
I miss the “Erotic Bakery” Cupcakes etc, on your table here – Call that one in N.Y.C.
http://www.newyorkpeniscakes.com/
best thanksgiving
Lovely Thanksgiving treat
Great entry. I think you are helping to demonstrate why nudity is inherently feminist. Patriarchy depends on control of female sexuality, and “modesty” is a key component of that control. So keep it up and keep destabilizing the status quo.
No “Like” option here, so I’ll do one manually. I agree with your sentiment, Chad.
Way to go ladies! You’re all beautiful! We here at Sunnier Palms in Florida celebrated Thanksgiving the same way. Great way to enjoy and give thanks.
Another beautiful and interesting post – you folk totally rock! Thanks for sharing your wonderful moments with us and thanks also for introducing me to a great new word – “Karass”. The Maori people of New Zealand (where I live) have a word with a very similar meaning – “Whanau” (pronounced ‘farnow’) meaning ones extended family, both blood related and chosen. Your group would definitely be considered a great example of Whanau.
Happy New Year