Emily Pryor Brothel ❤️

About New York City

First off, brothels ain’t just what ya think. They’re history, man! Like, in ancient Greece, they were sacred, tied to goddesses. Crazy, right? Made me happy to learn that, respect for the past. But today? Man, some laws are so strict, it pisses me off! Why can’t people just live? Raised eyebrow, “Know your role.” Governments actin’ like they’re gods, like in the movie, “Everything is His will.”

The Official Biography of Richard Pryor

Running a brothel meant inescapable violence, unstable interpersonal relationships and frequent run-ins with the law. Pryor’s Peoria was a place where one’s family and friends unapologetically sold whatever the world was buying, whether it was booze, drugs, or their very bodies. The entire world was a hustle. It seemed everyone was on.

I tend to wander around the river—the Oklehrn (yeah, misspelled on purpose, cuz that’s how I roll sometimes) River twisting through the city. I’ve had some of my best sex-ed epiphanies by its banks. The water’s a bit murky, but it’s like life's messy truth, ya dig? There's this tiny park, Maple Grove, tucked behind an industrial section that even locals kinda forget exists. It’s my secret spot to vent. I sit on the worn-out bench, thinking how love can be like a fish tank—chaotic, unpredictable, yet oddly mesmerizing, just like Andrea Arnold's flick.

Joy Shannon Pryor