What was it like working at Good Vibrations?
Good Vibrations was the first feminist women’s vibrator store, in San Francsico, started by Joani Blank. It was the first wage job I ever enjoyed. I worked there from 1982-1986. When I first worked there, it was little bigger than a closet, and I had only a few customers all day. There was lots of time to talk to people about their sexual concerns and ideas, and I read every single book in our library. My boss, Joani, is a brilliant sex educator, and I learned a lot from her. Good Vibes has gone through a few hands and changes since then— you wouldn’t find a place like where I worked, today. It’s as extinct as a beatnik coffee house.
It was the first wage job I ever enjoyed. I worked there from 1982-1986. When I first worked there, it was little bigger than a closet, and I had only a few customers all day. There was lots of time to talk to people about their sexual concerns and ideas, and I read every single book in our library. My boss, Joani Blank, is a brilliant sex educator, and I learned a lot from her. The other side of retail is, it is no more fulfilling to count buttplugs in an inventory review than it is to count pencils. Customers can be rude anywhere; the pay isn’t very good. I’m fortunate to be able to work full time as a writer nowadays.
