Episode 6 - Xaviera Hollander
Xaviera Hollander, the biggest madame in the 1970s and author of ‘The Happy Hooker,’ amongst other books, joins host Chloe Aftel to discuss her life and career. Now in her 80s, Xaviera reflects on her unique journey: her start in sex work, her sexual explorations, and her lifelong struggle with mental health (TW, suicide). She lays out her life history, from childhood in Indonesia and living in a Japanese internment camp, her multiple suicide attempts, her journey into sex work, and her career development into advocacy and writing. She describes her myriad of relationships with men and women and what she’s learned from it all.
Highlights:
How Xaviera’s early life experiences, including her Jewish heritage and time in a Japanese internment camp, shaped her views on sex work and sexuality;
The key challenges Xaviera faced in the sex industry and how she worked to address issues like corruption and lack of support for sex workers;
Her insights on the differences between men and women in sexual satisfaction and the complexities of maintaining relationships, particularly with bisexuality and polyamory;
Why she likes dating younger men at this stage of life.
About:
Xaviera Hollander is a Dutch-American former sex worker, author, and media personality, best known for her memoir The Happy Hooker: My Own Story (1971). Born in 1943, Hollander became internationally famous for her candid account of her life as a high-class escort in New York City during the 1960s. Her book was a bestseller and sparked controversy with its frank portrayal of sex work, relationships, and personal empowerment. Hollander went on to become a prominent figure in the sexual revolution, advocating for sexual freedom and the rights of sex workers.
Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue & more. Chloe has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on Covid’s impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in the Covid wards of the West Coast’s hardest hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Her first book, “Outside and In Between,” is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across America.
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