The Wisdom of Whores

I’ve had lots of fun in recent weeks pontificating in talks and interviews about sex, drugs and the AIDS biz, usually to people who know a lot more about all of the above than I do. (My favourites of recent weeks: sex worker radio XXBN and Sex Goddess radio Susie Bright, not pictured below). But I’ve rather lost the plot in posting interviews and reviews to the “Buzz” pages. I’m still working on it, but I have managed to update the Events page, including with some of the talks I’ll be giving at the Mexico AIDS Conference.

I’ve also put up some new reviews, including one by the much-admired former UN Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis (not pictured above). But it was Carlin Romano (ditto) in the Philadelphia Inquirer that got me thinking. He had this to say:

A hearty welcome, then, to Elizabeth Pisani, holder of a Ph.D. in epidemiology, who perfectly incarnates the link that should exist between writers and the world. The Wisdom of Whores, her rollicking, eye-opening, hilarious account of the underbelly of international AIDS research, awaits the Hollywood producer smart enough to make it into a Brangelina vehicle.

Ok, so if Angelina plays Ines, the best-looking sex worker in Jakarta, who does Brad play? Or if one went into a wild flight of fancy and cast Angelina as Elizabeth, well, who does Brad play? The Wisdom’s got plently of sex in it, but the love interests are either addicts or gay. How much creative license is one allowed? Perhaps it depends on the small print. Movies used to be “Based in a true story”. Then, in the wonderful transgender footwear epic “Kinky Boots” (pictured above), they drifted to “Inspired by a true story”. And last week I saw a further drift, to “Suggested by a true story.” Hell, maybe they’ll even give me a Lambretta in the movie, instead of my grotty old Honda Astrea. Or put me in kinky boots.