Sex and the Single College Grad

Sometimes, nothing can lighten up a conversation more than good, frank talk about sex and relationships. As a student at Yale University, Natalie Krinsky started writing “Sex and the (Elm) City” as a favor to a friend. The column ran in the school paper and sparked an Ivy League Revolution. Suddenly, some of her columns were getting 400,000 hits, and responses from all over the world. With topics ranging from oral sex to the perfect first date, Krinsky’s columns gave readers a whole new look at what it meant to live, as she puts it, “beyond the ivy covered walls.”

Now, with her first book, Chloe Does Yale, a novel about (surprise!) a Yale University sex columnist and her exploits, hitting the shelves, Krinsky has taken her adventures to New York City, and to a regular blogging gig at the Village Voice. She sat down with WireTap to talk about her column, whether “smart is sexy,” and why all the campus sex columnists are women.

WireTap: When did you start writing the column? How did you get the book deal?

Natalie Krinsky: I began writing my column at the beginning of my sophomore year at Yale. When it started gaining popularity beyond just Yale and I had readers at many other colleges around the country, I began thinking about writing a book. This was at the beginning of my junior year. At that time I was also getting a lot of press from national publications (Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, etc.) which was encouraging as well. I was also taking a journalism class with Steve Brill (of Brill’s Content, Court TV fame etc). An author of many books, I approached him and asked if he had any advice for an aspiring author who was looking for a literary agent. He introduced me to my current agent. From there, I went on to write a book proposal, which was sold the spring of my junior year.

WT: How much is actually based on fact? What are you doing now?

NK: The book is based on my experiences as sex columnist at a prestigious Ivy League university -- sort of the insider’s view on college. Some of the stories in the book are true. Most of them are made up based on things that went on at Yale. I would say that the book is 70 percent fiction, 30 percent fact -- let the reader decide what is what!

WT: How has the book (and the column, for that matter) changed your life?

NK: I actually began writing the column as a favor to a friend who was an editor at the Yale Daily News at the time. It’s interesting that such a small “fluke” led to all this. The column and the book have done a great deal for my life. I decided to really pursue writing once the column gained popularity. So, in essence, the column decided my career path. I think the biggest difference in my life is, in some capacity, becoming someone in the public eye. Having something like a book, which is so “out there,” leaves you open to both the compliments and criticisms of a large number of people. That’s definitely a big adjustment, but an interesting one, to make.

WT: What have been some of the most surprising/interesting responses you've gotten to the column and the book?

NK: I think that some of the most surprising things are the stories that you hear from people as a result of writing about sex. People are much more open to sharing personal information about themselves, or seeking advice about things. Sometimes the “advice” aspect can be difficult -- I don’t always know the answers. The majority of feedback pertaining to both the book and the column has been positive, but like anything else, there will always be people who feel the opposite way. I try not to take any of it too personally, though it can be hard at times.