Not to be confused with the ABC sitcom, this is a non‑fiction book about Ms. It was published in 2001 by Talk Miramax Books.
Subtitled "A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America", the book recounts her experiences in 9 different states plus Tijuana, Mexico. Now you might note that there are 50 states in the U.S. and Ms. Burana clearly missed 41 of them. Two of the 41 states she never visited were Pennsylvania and Delaware. Although Ms. Burana grew up in Northern Jersey, her professional experiences in New Jersey are limited to a one‑day North Jersey Turkey‑Rama tour on the day before Thanksgiving.
Nonetheless, I recall a lengthy phone conversation with the author when she was in the planning stages of her tour ‑‑ so perhaps it's my fault that our region is unrepresented. She was looking for a no‑contact, Philadelphia bikini bar, near the airport, where she could make big money, and easily obtain a job. Given that PA liquor law permits topless dancing with pasties or latex, it was impossible to come up with a club that met all of her requirements. I made several suggestions for clubs that met 4 out of 5, but that was the best I could do.
She was fascinating with plenty of opinions that matched my own. She told me about the book she was writing and I wished that I could read it some day once it was written. Now imagine my surprise when I discovered her book prominently displayed on the "New Non‑Fiction" table at B. Dalton Booksellers in the mall. I put it on my Christmas list and my father had no trouble finding it for me. It was still in hardback and lists for $23.95.
Lily Burana is a freelance journalist and essayist who has written for the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW, GQ, NEW YORK magazine, VILLAGE VOICE, SPIN, and SALON. But before she became a professional writer, Lily was an exotic dancer who spent the early years of her professional life working in seedy dives in Times Square.
