Annie Scott interviewed Candye Kane at Sex Worker Literati on August 6. Read the whole piece on Tonic.

Here’s an excerpt:

Tonic: So after you were a phone sex operator, you got into pin-up modeling. Did they make size a big issue back when you got started?

Candye Kane: Yeah, well, I was one of the first, ah, BBW models [that stands for "Big Beautiful Woman"]. There were a few of us, like Mary Waters, with all-natural boobs, you know, and that was a big deal. So, I was on the cover of a bunch of different classy publications, and then I got an advice column for Gent [Magazine] and that was like a real turning point for me, ’cause I could really write what I wanted. I could include what shows I was doing that week or where I was playing or what thoughts I was writing in the studio, so that helped a lot.

T: And you were a stripper for awhile, too?

CK: Yeah, then I became a stripper, but I was not a very good stripper. I was a good model, because I was good at like, squeezing my boobs together and making cute faces, and I have a pretty face, so I was okay at that, but I never really had a lot of dancing talent. I’m kind of uncoordinated.

[snip]

T: What would you say to people who want to change their career and change their life, not necessarily coming out of the sex industry, but wanting to make changes?

CK: Well, last year I had pancreatic cancer, and I had a major surgery and I’ve lost a hundred pounds since then, and I’m cancer free right now. And so I’m a very big believer in positive affirmation, and in intention. I really think if you want to do anything, you have to state your intention to the universe, and concentrate on that; put a lot of focus into it every day, and that can help facilitate the change. I also think having a real specific, strategic game plan is what you wanna do, be specific. Not just “I wanna change my career,” but “I want to make forty thousand dollars this year with my writing,” or “cooking,” or
whatever it is. I think if you state your intention that way, and you focus on that? That’s how I beat cancer, was by really focusing on what I wanted to do. I knew that I would to live, I knew that I had to make changes in my diet, and I took it as a blessing. And I let the collective healing love of the universe come in and heal me. It wasn’t just that; it was also a good surgeon and early detection, and a lot of factors.