Chapter Twenty

Michael talking to the burlesque dancers and finding out about their lives is based on my dad.  He talks to everyone and is always genuinely fascinated to learn about what is important to them.  It used to drive me crazy when I was a kid but now I recognize it as his way of making the world a better place.

I met a wide variety of people who did burlesque as part of my research.  One said she began after dumping a boyfriend who was cheating on her.  She wanted to feel good about herself and her body and four years later is still doing it.  They talked about how amazing and powerful and sexy they felt, regardless of whether or not they had a socially preferred body size.  About half of the performers I met would qualify as plus-size and said doing burlesque made them feel gorgeous.