In further incongruous news, Sasha Grey, who has also been abstaining from her former career as a porn star, is in the rather sticky position--not the first time, to be sure--of having to defend the authenticity, not the legitimacy, of her recent reading to elementary schoolers. Of course the two are presumably connected: because of the backlash of those troubled by a former pornster interacting with young children, school authorities are denying it ever happened, published photographs and a statement released by Grey notwithstanding. Never underestimate the bureaucratic ability to refute reality if it threatens their status quo.
As for questioning the validity of Sasha's Reading Corner, I can only play pragmatist, and say: whatever gets kids through the library doors, these days, is alright with me. Still, I think her former vocation has more allure for the student's parents, who might actually know who she is, or was, not to mention the media, whose coverage is guaranteed by such an event. So, in that case, well done to Ms. Grey's publicity team and Red Cross America's promotions department. Better to ponder might be why it is we need any "stars"--sexualized or otherwise (or are all stars sexualized?)-- to promote reading to children (because, you know, despite our celebrity-obsessed culture, getting "personalities" to encourage other things, like sex and drug abstinence, has worked out so well...). And although it feels uncomfortably weird to bring it up now, I'll reveal the shocking truth of who it was that engendered my literacy as a child: my grandmother.
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