Annie Sprinkle was born Ellen F. Steinberg on July 23, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a self-described "nice Jewish girl" whose parents were academics. She grew up in the greater Los Angeles area, and was a bashful girl well into her teens. Of her youth, Annie has said, "I was not a sexual child. I was very shy and inhibited. It wasn't until I lost my virginity at the age of 17 that I even became interested in sex." However, once she surrendered her maidenhead, sex became her lifelong concern, as for her, sex became a means of expression, then an art form, and then a venue for exploring ...