Tantalizing or tantamount to abuse? That’s the question Lisan Jutras asked herself when, after years of second-wave-feminist-informed abstention, she became a consumer of pornography. Many in the adult-film industry argue that having sex onscreen is becoming a mainstream way to make ends meet, but the perception of porn as exploitative and misogynistic remains a popular position, bolstered by years of male-centric production. The arguments of anti-porn advocates gave pause to Jutras’ pleasure, so, in “In Too Deep”, our Fall 2013 cover story, she travels to a film shoot in Las Vegas, Nevada to discover the real people behind the fake orgasms. Jutras examines the repression and expression of female sexuality, and the complexity and authority of desire. On our cover, photographer Kourosh Keshiri and art director Anna Minzhulina slyly encapsulate Jutras’ up-close and triple-X-rated glimpse into the world of professional pornography. 

Marian Botsford Fraser recalls a summer spent as a stranger in 1970s Algeria. 

Christopher Szabla asks if a new crop of thrill-seeking journalists are just repackaging sensationalism and calling it good reporting. 

Kim Fu spent her childhood blissfully indifferent to her race. That didn't last long. 

Elizabeth Foster reports from a small New Brunswick town tragically altered by the methamphetamine trade. 

Live-action role play immerses adults in a world of fantasy. Megan Jones wonders if it can save the world, too. 

On the tenth anniversary of Vancouver's Insite, Brad Badelt looks at the battle for safe injection clinics in Canada's major cities. 

Joshua MacDonald's portraits of actors in character in a familiar setting. 

Emily M. Keeler on the half-baked philosophy of Alain de Botton and the charades-inspired wisdom of Misha Glouberman. 

Tina Hassannia on a film that changes the conversation about media-motivated murder. 

Erica Ruth Kelly cleans a conspiracy theorist's apartment. 

Plus, fiction from Jessica Westhead and Éric McComber, new poetry from Chad Campbell, the next installment of Ethan Rilly's four-part comic series, spot illustrations by John Martz, the Book Room, the Music Room, and more! 

On newsstands everywhere September 20th. Buy it here today!