Naked City, USA: Growing Up Naked

What began in the 1930's as a quiet nudist camp in rural Indiana became an international phenomenon by the late 1970's. From 1968 thru 1986 Naked City was not only the worlds largest nudist camp according to the Guinness World Book of Records, it was also home of the world famous Miss Nude America pageant. Naked City was run by Dick Drost, a self-made millionaire who built his sex-media empire from the confines of his wheelchair. He was a savvy self-promoter & hustler whose skills rivaled those of P.T. Barnum, Larry Flynt, and the infamous Reverend Jim Jones. Yet despite his incredible fame & wealth he was almost assassinated, kicked out of the state of Indiana for a decade, and died penniless & alone.Much mythology has built up around Drost and Naked City over the years. He was featured in countless newspaper & magazine articles, and even a documentary film but up until now no one has told the whole story about this unique part of 1970's Americana. I have researched every article available, and interviewed numerous witnesses to write a detailed account of this lost piece of history. I also have a personal perspective to tell the story from, as my family attended Naked City during its heyday.

Author: Brian D. Blank
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 08/21/2018
Pages: 138
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 11.02h x 8.50w x 0.36d
ISBN: 9781519744401

About the Author
A lifelong journey, and a steadfast concern for the future motivated Brian Blank to begin writing in college. As head of the activist group Mid-America Peace Project he wrote passionately in support of nuclear disarmament. He wrote opinion editorials for newspapers and magazines and newspaper ad copy, eventually convincing the student body to declare the Southern Illinois campus as a "Nuclear-Free Zone." After college, while working for Baker & Taylor Video as a media buyer and brand manager he composed commercial copy for radio advertisements. These commercials featured popular movies of the time. He also took an interest in the newly-defined demographic segment called "Generation-X" of which he was a member. Shortly after moving to Seattle in 1990, his writing was featured in a four page spread article in the Seattle Times. His comments about Generation-X were also used in People Magazine. Over the years, he has contributed dozens of editorial articles to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, and Time Magazine. Now Brian has written Naked City, USA, the true-life story of life inside the infamous nudist camp. With an open mind and an eagerness to rediscover a piece of lost history, Brian's factual narrative brings back to life swingers mecca that was Naked City, and it's outrageous owner Dick Drost. Brian spent his teen years as a frequent visitor to Naked City along with his family. He has gathered personal stories from those people who were at Naked City when history was being made. He interviewed nude pageant contestants and celebrity judges to get their first-hand stories. He spoke with family and friends for their personal recollections. He researched newspaper and magazine archives for every possible article available about Dick Drost and Naked City. Readers will get to learn what life at the infamous nudist camp was really like and perhaps even come to appreciate a side of owner Dick Drost they never knew about. When Brian isn't writing, he currently works as a packaging designer in for a design agency in Pasadena, CA. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from Southern Illinois University. He lives with his girlfriend Kathy and enjoys motorcycle riding. He is currently researching ideas for his next book.


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