“The Feminist Curse,” Kim Ye’s essay on motherhood, eroticism, and domestic gender parity written from the point of view of a sex worker raising a boy is published in Petit Mort Magazine, Volume VII, Summer 2023. The essay is accompanied by black and white photographs taken by Mark McKnight of Kim Ye and her 6-month-old child. This issue was edited by Penelope Dario, Creative Director & Editor in Chief at Petit Mort Magazine. This issue features work by Matthew Camp, Allie Oops, Mason Rose, Bardot Smith, and Lily Vivier.

Enjoy an excerpt from “The Feminist Curse” below and order the issue to read the full piece.

“My colleagues and I joke about the superiority of women, about how pathetic and enslaved cis men are to their sexual urges, that all men are trash. And it’s hilarious because it’s based on truth: clueless partners, entitled clients, absentee fathers, arrogant fuckboys, patronizing bosses, creepy teachers, cat-calling strangers. Patriarchy makes it okay to punch up, and as a bunch of dominant women, we like to punch hard. but when b is born, he is so soft. Seven pounds of vulnerability completely dependent upon me and his dad to keep him alive. I question how this gooey adorable alien frog can carry any blame for the crimes of those who came before. In this state, he is Teflon: traditions of misogyny, femicide, machismo, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault slip right off. He resists being a screen for my gendered projections.”

Petit Mort Magazine was founded in 2020 with the intention of establishing the cultural parallels between creative expression and eroticism. They feature a wide range of artists, writers, and performers with a more inclusive approach than most media companies. Their mission is to break down barriers between our bodies and minds and communicate ideas that live at the core of the human experience.