Dear Betty

This year I unexpectedly got your book 'Sex for One' sent to me. This in itself has been a incredible experience to be able to read all that info and not have to feel 'dirty' was a great gift in itself. I have experienced all sorts of abuse from age 3 and have a rather fractured image about sex and sexuality. It has been so healing to read your book and get a better understanding of the vagina and how we are suppressed throughout many generations. It has opened a new channel in me and I'm exploring it in many different levels.

I am a sculpting artist and have now started making cunt designs and am in the process of carving a great variety of representational and abstract fannies for a coming exhibition. (how scary!!!) While making 'Fanny No 1' I started to notice a regular returning wish. I would love to help other people become more 'cunt aware.' Wouldn't it be great to have your own unique fanny carved out of Jade or any other semi-precious stone of preference?

I do not know where to start and am rather scared that it's a really crazy thing to want to be doing. Am I a pervert for wanting to carve other peoples genitalia? I have included a picture of my first fanny i carved and as you can see one side is 'non-exist' as well as rather fractured (how symbolic?) and the other half is soooo beautiful and soft and lush which represents me coming out of my shell and starting to get interested in my own sexuality. For me this is a very symbolic carving/ jewelry piece and for the first time I love what I have made. I think it can offer similar healing for other people but I could be wrong. Thank you Betty for your book and I sincerely hope to hear back from you. I realise you are extremely busy but hope you will have time to read and answer me.

All my Love,

Jacky

Left: Drawing by Betty Dodson

Dear Jacky,

How about choosing a better term for the female genitals. Vagina is the birth canal and I doubt you are carving one of those. The term "fanny" is very British, but here in America a fanny is an ass or a behind. You seem to be comfortable using the word "Cunt--" my favorite. However, for your exhibition you might consider Vulva Art instead of "Fanny." Or say Clit Art, Pussy Art or Cunt Art.

Back in the seventies, a friend of mine carved a Jade vulva that I posed for. It was a portrait of mine. For years I wore it on a big silver chain around my neck. I saw it as my protective stone when I showed my slides of the female genitals to college students. It was amazing how many women had no idea what this jade piece was; a flower perhaps? One woman held it her hand fondling it until I told her it was a portrait of my pussy. Whereupon, she dropped it immediately. By the way, feeling scary is good. It means you are challenging yourself. Time to gird your inner pervert and move forward to demonstrate your own Pussy Pride! Keep in mind the example of me drawing all those Pussy Portraits of my girlfriends in 'Sex for One'.

Betty

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