The 15 Question E-mail Interview

Strip City
by Lily Burana

The Interview
Trixie compiled a list of question for Lily Burana, author of Strip City after reading this fabulous new book. We want to thank Lily Burana for taking the time to answer the questions we just had to know.

1. When you started on your year long journey, did you intend or plan on writing Strip City?

I had started planning the trips already, and done some of them, before I sold the proposal for STRIP CITY. If I hadn't gotten a book contract for it, I'm sure I would have gone through with part of the journey, but might have chickened out when it got very tiring, or emotionally challenging. Having a commitment to a publisher that I needed to fulfill forced me to show up for the tough stuff.

2. You talked about leaving stripping during the time of the Mitchell Brothers lawsuit. How much did that and the subsequent backlash quicken your "retirement"?

Probably not much. As the book indicates, I had already been in the business for years and was pretty burned out by the time the lawsuit struggle happened. In my mind, I'd been thinking that it was coming time for me to phase out of dancing, and the stress of the lawsuit just made me work that much harder to move on. I did have to work at the club for at least a year after the lawsuit was filed in order to be considered a "class representative" for the women who danced there still (my co-plaintiff who had already left the club represented the former dancers), so I couldn't have cut-and-run if I'd had the impulse.

3. Going out on the road, what were the biggest changes you found in people this time around?

What struck me more than anything is how complex the whole thing is. On the surface, it seems very straightforward: A club-owner, with an ambition to make money, opens a club, girls show up to work with the same goal, and customers come in to see the show. But up close, there's so much more. The men and women in the audience can be there for so many reasons: loneliness, curiosity, the need for adventure, desperation. To dismiss them as merely horny or anxious to exploit dancers is a cliched dismissal, and a bit of a dodge. And the interaction between dancer and customer can be just as tricky. It didn't really strike me until after the first round of clubs I'd visited during the STRIP CITY saga, and I was in my truck crying uncontrollably. To morph yourself into what the customers want, and they want so many different things, can be so exhausting. For all the fun of the performance and the theatrics and invigorating sexual tension, there's the slow outward trickle of energy that can add up to quite a big drain if you're not careful. And sometimes even if you are careful, too.

4. You covered a lot of ground during this year. Was there any place or any thing you didn't experience that you wish you had?

Oh god, yes. I only went to twenty-five out of about 2,500 clubs! I wish I could have done a hundred more. I wanted to profile every dancer, see every club, note every historical detail. This could've been an encyclopedia.

5. Do you feel you accomplished what you set out to do? Both in taking the year journey, and in telling the tale?

Most of the time. But there's always more, always more. Sometimes, the trip and the book seem like just the tip of the iceberg. But that's the beauty of any journey. Even after you get home and get it down on the page, you're still wayfaring many days, months, years later.

6. Yours can be described as the ultimate soul-searching journey. Many people look back at their past and begin to take stock. Not everyone is as fortunate or brave enough to really "relive" their past with the knowledge they've gained since. Would you recommend it?

Certainly not if the past involved harmful activity-doing drugs, drinking a lot, being promiscuous, anything that might put your at excessive physical risk. I also wouldn't recommend it for people who are beyond the physical capability to reenact their past-say, a 42-year-old retired bullrider with a bad back might be better off not revisiting the rodeo circuit! But if you've got the nerve examine it closely-really show up for the hard parts, the damning downsides of the paradoxical reasons for why and how you do things, as well as the hopeful, good parts, then I'd say go for it. It's a life-changing thing.

7. Stripping seems like the ultimate ego roller-coaster: The intense highs from adoration, to the extreme lows of rejection. Are the highs worth the lows?

If someone were stripping just for the feelings it inspires, I'd say certainly not. The thrill can wear off quite suddenly, and unceremoniously dump you into despair for a long time. But if you strip in pursuit of a larger goal-financing an education, buying a house, getting out of debt, getting back on your feet after being broke (say, you've left an abusive relationship in which you were economically dependent on your partner, or you were sick for a long time and couldn't work), then it might be worth it. But the key to maintaining your equilibrium is staying focused on that goal, and really going after it. It's too easy to get lost in the whirlwind of customer drama, club politics and emotional ping-ponging.

8. What was the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

SAVE YOUR MONEY.

Now for the fun questions:

9. What's your favorite strip club?

I recently went to the Admiral Theater in Chicago, and loved it. It's in an old Vaudeville theater, and it has beautiful Egyptian-style Deco detail, a huge stage, and, in addition to doing table dances in the audience, the women put on beautiful performances. They have a shower stage that they use every few hours, which is incredibly sexy, and . The whisper of old-fashioned burlesque haunts the place and it's just lovely! It is my first recommendation for anyone who wants to have "date night" at a strip club.

10. What one piece of advice would you give to a guy going to his first strip club?

Let's see: Be willing to enjoy the show for what it is. Don't try to invade the dancers' privacy in hopes of appearing "cool" or "friendly." A simple question, like, "what's your real name" or "how old are you" may seem very well-intentioned to you, but it can feel invasive to a dancer. Plus, stalking is a very real threat in stripping, so dancers don't usually like to give out personal information. If she wants you to know such things, she will be happy to tell you. And when in doubt, over-tip!

11. What advice would you give to his girlfriend / wife?

If you're not having fun, feel free to leave. Some clubs are depressing, and some places don't make women feel welcome, so don't think you're a prude if it doesn't seem fun to you. You can always try again later at another club.

You're more than entitled to tip, too. You don't have to feel second-fiddle, or like an interloper, because you're a woman. You're entitled to this show, too! Don't worry too much if a dancer is complimenting your man. Ideally, she should be flirting with you, too (the best dancers will always make everyone feel welcome!), but if she isn't, it's probably not because she's trying to take your man. She's just doing her job. 12. What's the worst pick-up line you ever heard?

"You seem so cold, baby! Why don't you open up more?"

13. How cool was it to see Tempest Storm perform?

Cooler than Elvis, baby!

14. What's the worst music to strip to?

I've seen dancers successfully dance to everything from country to Edith Piaf to Nick Cave, so good match between dancer and music transcends any genre. But if there was one type of music I'd say is bound to be a disaster, it'd be Polka. And Philip Glass. I saw a girl "dancing" to that once, and I am still trying to recover. Between the pretentiousness and the lack of rhythm, it was like watching a bad performance art piece. It was like dancing to wall-paper-there was no grab, no traction!

15. How do you find the best place for a bikini wax?

You mean besides where there's hair you don't want? For me, it came down to trial and error. If I left the salon smooth, with no wax or unwanted hair still stuck to me, I considered it a triumph. I always tip waxers generously. I thought stripping off my clothes was a hard job. Imagine stripping hair off of people you don't know for a living!

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