Catherine Townsend

The Independent's no-holds-barred sex and dating columnist, Catherine Townsend published her first novel, Sleeping Around: Secrets of a Sexual Adventuress, in 2007 and is now writing a second book and appearing in How to Have Sex After Marriage on Five. Born in Arkansas, Catherine was a gossip columnist for New York Magazine before moving to London in 2003, since when she has had a very interesting - and pretty public - private life.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Tonight, I'm due to partake in a debate at the Cambridge Union on the motion "This House regards Jordan as a Feminist Icon" along with, among others, Edwina Currie and Abi Titmuss. Depending on whom you ask, she's either an evil, amoral slapper who corrupts children and is bringing on the downfall of civilisation, or a modern-day heroine.

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Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 24 April 2008

I'm not sure if it's the jet lag from my recent trip to the US or the stress of having to explain to my ex-boyfriend that I'm now dating his son, Alasdair, but my insomnia is back. I discovered long ago that masturbation beats hot milk as a sleep aid, so I was surfing for internet porn at 3am when I noticed my very hot neighbour, dressed only in an unbuttoned shirt and briefs, also working on his computer.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 17 April 2008

To my surprise, my long-distance romance with my ex-boyfriend's son Alasdair has become more than some sort of weird Freudian flirtation. We're actually planning to see each other again in a few weeks' time – but until then, the waiting has been difficult and phone sex isn't really doing the trick.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 10 April 2008

Recently, I've been wondering how my love life could get any more complicated, and I got my answer this week when I found myself lusting after my ex-boyfriend's son. Let's rewind to the beginning. Several years ago, I had an amazing boyfriend, Michael, who was charming, handsome, articulate, generous, kind, fantastic in bed – and 25 years older than me. After almost a year of dating, our relationship drew to a natural close, but we've stayed friends and he's been an amazing influence on my life.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 3 April 2008

I had to laugh when I read the controversy over "Lib Dem lothario" Nick Clegg, who horrified some Conservatives when he admitted to sleeping with "no more than 30" sexual partners. We constantly moan that politicians are dishonest, so it's very refreshing that we have a guy who seems to be putting it all out there (no pun intended).

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 27 March 2008

My friends think I've gone insane. It's not just that I'm thinking of joining a dating agency. It's more that I'm on the verge of paying several thousand pounds for the privilege. I certainly can't afford it. I've been saving for years for a rainy day, but a deluge of inappropriate men wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 13 March 2008

I recently found myself stripping down to a black, lacy thong before walking into a room full of naked men. But this wasn't an orgy, it was a naturist club night. The whole thing started out as a dare. My friend Victoria and I were discussing her upcoming wedding, and the fact that we hadn't been clubbing in ages. We'd heard about the naked disco in south London, and always said it was something we'd love to try, just for a laugh.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 6 March 2008

I've had my share of adventures, but it's not often that I can say I've spent the weekend swinging from the chandeliers. The conversation about rope bondage started while Andrew and I were chatting about an article claiming that spanking children causes an increase in sexual deviancy in adulthood. This didn't surprise me. Whenever I watch Supernanny, I laugh and tell myself we're creating a generation of men who'll be asking their wives to wear glasses and make them get on the "naughty step".

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 28 February 2008

I laughed out loud when I read about the Italian scientists claiming to pinpoint the location of the G-spot via ultrasound this week because I had a flashback. It's more than 10 years ago now, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It's of my high-school boyfriend John, who, bless him, claimed to have a "signature move" that would make us have simultaneous orgasms (not that I knew what one felt like back then!). "I'm close," he would say, then, encouragingly, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you!" So, I did what women have probably been doing for generations, and rolled my eyes to the back of my head, pretended to thrash around a bit and looked satisfied.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 21 February 2008

'My friend has a crush on you," my friend Jamie told me, "can I set you up on a date?" There's nothing really abnormal about this, except that the "friend" is a woman named Rachel, and she's absolutely gorgeous.

Catherine Townsend: Sleeping Around

Thursday, 14 February 2008

Hi, I'm Catherine and I'm a love addict." I'd never heard the phrase uttered outside a Robert Palmer video or bad poetry, but sitting on an uncomfortable chair in a church basement at a Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) meeting, it was all getting very real, very fast. I wasn't sure if this definition applied to me, but I needed some answers.

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