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Kaleigh Trace

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Kaleigh Trace
Photo of Kaleigh Trace
Trace in 2019
Born1986 (age 38–39)
Occupation
  • Writer
  • sex educator
  • therapist
Alma mater
GenreNon-fiction
Notable worksHot, Wet, and Shaking (2014)
Notable awardsEvelyn Richardson Award (2015)

Kaleigh Trace (born 1986) is a Canadian writer, sex educator, and therapist based in Toronto, Ontario. Her 2014 memoir Hot, Wet, and Shaking: How I Learned to Talk About Sex, which chronicles her experiences as a disabled, queer, feminist sex educator, won the 2015 Evelyn Richardson Memorial Non-Fiction Award at the Atlantic Book Awards. Known for her candid discussions of sexuality and disability, Trace republished an updated edition of the memoir in 2024.

Biography

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Trace was born in 1986. She and her family experienced a car accident in 1995, which left her with a severe injury to her spinal cord. As a result of the accident, she spent part of her childhood in a wheelchair.[1] She graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2009,[2] and subsequently became employed at Venus Envy, a Canadian sex shop and book retailer. Trace credited her work at Venus Envy with expanding her knowledge on human sexuality.[3] While working at Venus Envy, Trace began writing a blog, The Fucking Facts, in which she discussed deeply personal topics such as an abortion she had two years prior to starting the blog.[4] Trace's blog would serve as inspiration her book Hot, Wet, and Shaking.[5] In 2013, Trace received internet attention for her parody song of Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke entitled Ask First. The song was co-written by Trace and other Venus Envy staff members.[6]

Trace's book Hot, Wet, and Shaking was released on 17 September 2014,[7] published by Invisible Publishing of Halifax.[2] The memoir details her experience as a disabled, queer, feminist sex educator, exploring her personal story with sexuality through the lens of her spinal cord injury and work at Venus Envy. Through honest and humorous anecdotes, Trace challenges conventional narratives of sex, covering topics from struggles with orgasm and comical mishaps to serious issues like abortion and ableism.[8] The book was the winner of the Evelyn Richardson Memorial Non-Fiction Award at the Atlantic Book Awards in 2015.[9]

Trace remained employed at Venus Envy until moving to Toronto in 2017, and received her Master of Science in couples and family therapy at the University of Guelph. After receiving her degree, she began working at a Toronto therapy clinic, later resigning and opening a private practice.[2]

In October 2022, Trace was diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer. The same year, she was contacted by Invisible Publishing regarding the republication of a 10-year anniversary edition of Hot, Wet, and Shaking. Although she stated she was now "much more reluctant" to openly discuss her sex life, she agreed to the republication, calling the book a "much-needed celebration of sex".[2] The republished book included a new introduction, as well as chapters reflecting her cancer diagnosis.[10]

Publications

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Books

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  • Trace, Kaleigh (2014). Hot, Wet, and Shaking: How I Learned To Talk About Sex. Halifax, NS: Invisible Publishing. ISBN 978-1-9267-4347-9. OCLC 1028583483.
  • — (2020). Hot, Wet & Shaking: Wie ich lernte über Sex zu sprechen (in German). Translated by Dützmann, Penelope. Berlin, Germany: Orlanda Verlag. ISBN 978-3-9446-6661-7. OCLC 1348605874.
  • — (2024). Hot, Wet, and Shaking: How I Learned To Talk About Sex (Tenth Anniversary ed.). Halifax, NS: Invisible Publishing. ISBN 978-1-7784-3046-6. OCLC 1464921208.

Selected articles

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Recognition

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Trace (2014).
  2. ^ a b c d Trace (2024).
  3. ^ Moran (2014); CBC Radio (2018).
  4. ^ Moran (2014).
  5. ^ Moran (2014); Nauss (2014).
  6. ^ Cruikshank (2013).
  7. ^ Willard (2014).
  8. ^ National Post (2014); Willard (2014); Nauss (2014).
  9. ^ Robertson (2015); Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia (2015); Smith (2024).
  10. ^ Gamage (2024).
  11. ^ The Coast (2014).
  12. ^ Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia (2015).
  13. ^ Emery & Lelliott (2017).

Sources

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Further reading

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Articles

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Audio and video

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