This is My Real Name

A Stripper's Memoir

The frank and bracing memoir of a woman who spent ten years as a stripper.

This Is My Real Name is the memoir of Cid V Brunet, who spent ten years working as a dancer at strip clubs, using the name Michelle. From her very first lap dance in a small-town bar to her work at high-end clubs, Michelle learns she must follow the unspoken rules that will allow her to succeed in the competitive industry. Along the way, she and her co-workers encounter compelling clients and unreasonable bosses and navigate their own relationships to drugs and alcohol. Michelle and her friends rely on each other’s camaraderie and strength in an industry that can be both toxic and deeply rewarding.

Intensely personal, This Is My Real Name demystifies stripping as a career with great respect and candour, while at the same time exploring the complex, sex-positive relationships (queer and otherwise) that make it meaningful.

Contributors

Cid V Brunet

Cid V Brunet spent their twenties stripping in clubs across Canada. They received a degree in creative writing from Douglas College and went on to participate in the Quebec Writers Federation mentorship program, where they wrote their first book, This Is My Real Name.
Chapter Contributors Pages Year Price
2 $0.20
Chapter 1 recounts the author Cid V Brunet’s first time at the Royal (a strip club in Southern Ontario) and her early career there. Topics discussed include management, names, femininity, sex …
9 $0.90
Chapter 2 recounts Brunet’s early experiences and the process of learning the unspoken rules of the strip club and strippers. Topics discussed include competition, body image and aesthetics, …
13 $1.30
Chapter 3 follows Brunet as she becomes fully initiated into sex work and strip club culture. Topics discussed include selling sex, Lola, queer love, open relationships, straight women in clubs, …
19 $1.90
Chapter 4 begins with Brunet’s travel to Sarnia, Ontario and the experience of stripping there. Topics discussed include friendships, rules, and different clubs.
13 $1.30
Chapter 5 follows Brunet’s time back at the Royal. Topics discussed include her relationship with Luke, her relationship with Jace turning violent, masculinity, mental health, and addiction.
12 $1.20
Chapter 6 follows Brunet rediscovering herself. Topics discussed include strip circuits, studying poetry, laws surrounding sex work and paying for sex work, domestic violence, music tied to …
22 $2.20
Chapter 7 begins with Brunet’s time at Club Goldmine. Topics discussed include the hiring process, travels to Sudbury, VIP, and more.
44 $4.40
Chapter 8 recounts Brunet’s time at the FoxxDen club. Topics discussed aging as a stripper, clients in Ottawa, and seeing your high school classmates as a stripper.
9 $0.90
Chapter 9 explores Brunet’s time in Vancouver at The District club. Topics discussed include different rules, hierarchy of shame, contact versus no contact, VIP girls, housing in Vancouver, …
31 $3.10
Chapter 10 recounts Brunet’s time in Burlington, Ontario. Topics discussed include Diamonds strip club, performative fantasy, cosmetic surgery, jealousy, and more.
11 $1.10
Chapter 11 explores Brunet’s time at the club Moonlighter & Sirens in Niagara. Topics discussed include legality of stripping and protections for strippers, perfect clients, confidence, hotel …
31 $3.10
Chapter 12 begins with Brunet’s return to the Royal. Topics discussed include reunions, growth, and change.
6 $0.60
Chapter 13 follows Brunet’s move to Montreal and time at Paradis. Topics discussed include night shift versus day shifts, aging as a stripper, bachelor parties, getting suspended, race and …
16 $1.60
Chapter 14 explores Brunet’s return to the Maritimes to see her family. Topics discussed include her marriage to Luke, healing from trauma, and leaving sex work behind.
7 $0.70
Chapter 15 concludes the book with Brunet’s return to Montreal, work at Sally’s Club and giving up stripping.
12 $1.20