CURRENT ISSUE Mercyful Tarot Interpretations by Samantha Mercy Events Black and Blue Ball 9, 2002 Black and Blue Ball X, 2003 LSM Benefit for Barbara Nitke's CDA Lawsuit Interviews Anita Durst Madame Dollhaus Kate Cook Mercy Photographer Misa Martin Goes Under the Lens Mercy Personality Abby Ehmann Is the Queen of New York Nightlife Book Review Kiss Of Fire		From The Editor We are Pro Doms. We are healers, mothers, destroyers, perverts, prostitutes, gangsters, objects, Goddesses, actors, directors, set designers, writers, editors, creators, disposable and keepers of the flame. We are that spark of energy that transforms the mediocre man in the dress code suite, complete with shit stained underware and bad breath into a sensual instrument played by our hand, a conduit for the energy that we make flow from our fingers and spark off his body. Energy that we can conjure, truly, in the palm of our hand. Oh, so we are not healers, not prostitutes? Well whose energy is it? Some would say that the intense, trusting play performed for pay goes against their morals. Only a 'partner' should be entrusted with those secrets. Some would say those hot hands that tie rope and swing whips are stealing energy that should go into massage, into painting, piano and other forms of appropriate creation. We are not appropraite. We keep the flame, we call it forth and seduce, destroy, build our clients up again according to our own whims, the universal blueprint of the moment. We are that moment when the scene flows, disbelief is suspended, and the fantasy is palpable. Some of us live it 24/7, some of us go back and forth, but we all are keepers of the flame, our collective magic. read on	About the editor... About the editor... Carrie has been involved in the NY bd/sm scene for over 13 years. She was told not to start her own dungeon read on

INTERVIEWS ANITA DURNST is the founder of Chashama, an experimental theater group and artist’s collective providing rehearsal, performance and studio space...read on KATE COOK After graduating from Sarah Lawrence I found studio space with Chashama. It was the first opportunity since...read on MADAME DOLLHAUS "I consider myself a fetishist with a strong obsession for materials and objects. I have always used the female form in my works ...read on BOOK REVIEW Kiss of Fire Ever since Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs were used to help justify the defunding of the NEA, there has been a question whether sadomasochism is a fit subject for art. Barbara Nitke answers with a resounding YES! in her new book, KISS OF FIRE. With over 60 crisp duotone photographs and published on heavy stock by Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg in Germany...read on Barbara Nikte's CDA Lawsuit In the Fall of 1994, I began photographing lovers in the SM scene in New York. My work had explored issues of sexual desire for many years, and sadomasochism was not new to me. It was the next step in a journey I set out on many years before. I had worked as a set photographer on over 300 hardcore and SM/fetish porn movies....read on PERSONALITIES Abby Ehmann is the queen of New York nightlife; she runs two weekly parties and is set to launch a third, and always has her pulse on the latest fetish fetes. MERCY spoke with Abby about her favorite porn, her new events, and her wildest and wackiest ...read on MERCY PHOTOGRAPHER Misa Martin is a sexy, slender slip of a woman who exudes a sense of fun and frolic. She has a devilish grin and an adventurous appearance: tattoos, piercings and interesting hues in her hair. As one of New York’s most prolific fetish...read on Mercy Granted Links Contact Mercy Positive Health Project, Inc. (PHP) Their primary mission is to reduce the spread of HIV infection by providing a range of health and prevention services to people who engage in behavior known to cause HIV infection, including intravenous drug use and high risk sexual behavior. PHP is the only HIV prevention organization in NY that provides dungeons and fetish clubs/parties with needles for play piercing, sharp containers, latex gloves, condoms, and safe SM educational information. PHP’s Safe SM Hand-book is further evidence of their commitment to the bdsm scene. Complete with luscious Stanton illustrations, the handbook is a must for any playspace. To get yours, and to donate to the cause, contact: www.Positivehealthproject.com Positive Health Project 301 West 37th Street New York, NY 10018