The Adventures of Holly White and the Incredible Sex Machine

PRAISE FOR KRISSY KNEEN

Praise for
Steeplechase

‘Kneen's dark imagination and sharp intellect give her erotic writing an edgy quality
that reminds the reader, with a genuine shock of recognition, of what sex can be
like at its most extreme: ravenous, dangerous, chaotic and transformative.'
Sydney
Morning Herald

‘This is a text steeped in the reactions of the body. It is this corporeality, a
style honed from earlier works, that makes Kneen's prose so remarkable, and attempts
to categorise her writings into distinct genres so meaningless…With her most recent
work [Kneen] has cemented her place as an author to be read because of the promise,
sensual or otherwise, signified by her name on the spine.'
Australian

‘Krissy Kneen's deceptively simple prose careens towards a startling and horrifying
denouement; her talent for strikingly vibrant imagery shines…Her fans will continue
to relish Kneen's vivid imagery and fearless prose.'
Books+Publishing

‘Both disturbing and mesmerising. This is writing that displays incredible emotional
depth. Krissy Kneen is an author who writes with generosity and truth.' Favel Parrett,
author of
Past the Shallows

‘Kneen has a rare gift for constructing the most exquisite architectures of narrative
and meaning from simple and elegant prose.' John Birmingham

‘Absorbing writing with a menacing undertow that drags the reader deep inside a dysfunctional,
disturbing relationship.'
TheHoopla.com.au

‘Densely plotted and compelling…Kneen's first real fiction is an accomplished work
that will not easily be forgotten.'
Adelaide Advertiser

‘A compelling tale with a brilliant climax…hypnotic, powerful, stirring.'
BookMooch.com

‘The voice is strong, the writing vivid, the prose disarmingly frank…Verdict: Lyrical,
persuasive and intriguing.'
Courier-Mail

‘
Steeplechase
is superbly paced. It never breaks intensity, but increases it gradually
with each hurdle and crossing… Kneen's writing is elemental and corporeal, exploring
an embodied psychological experience that is darkly feminine and exquisitely intense.
Steeplechase
is a worthy and chilling addition to the Australian gothic tradition.'
Readings

‘Understated and potent. Kneen's restrained prose is elegant in its simplicity. Despite
the highly emotive subject matter, it never becomes overblown or hysterical. The
premise behind steeplechasing is that the obstacles make the horse demonstrate agility,
power, intelligence, and bravery. Kneen achieves all of these qualities in her first
novel.'
Australian Book Review

‘Kneen's writing is taut, expertly paced and corporeal. The dramatic and bizarre
climax set in a chic contemporary Beijing gallery pushes narrative boundaries to
great effect.'
Newcastle Herald

‘A strange and intricate work that, like any excellent work of art, creates its own
tight world whose engine is anxiety and suppression. Kneen has an unvarnished and
natural voice that belies the immense sophistication framing the restrained texture
of the emotion.'
Age

Praise for
Affection: an intimate memoir

Shortlisted, Queensland Premier's Award for non-fiction 2010

Shortlisted, Biography of the Year, Australian Book Industry Awards 2010

‘Sexy and beautifully written.
Affection
is a moving portrait and an absorbing read…An
unforgettable book.' James Frey

‘To focus on the prurient aspects of this memoir… is to miss its gorgeous heart…
Affection
is lushly written, a vivid and unabashed account of a woman coming to terms with
her body.'
Courier-Mail

‘A rare feat…Beneath the surface sexuality,
Affection
's triumph is that of an assured
novelist of any genre. She sets a scene in curt but vivid detail and injects emotional
vibrancy into even cursory encounters.'
Sunday Age

‘A lyrical gem. Kneen has a rare gift for constructing the most exquisite architectures
of narrative and meaning from simple and elegant prose. Sometimes confronting, sometimes
hilarious, and always amazingly honest.' John Birmingham

‘Astonishing…Powerfully and voyeuristically erotic, a relentless yet tender examination
of the body's relationship to self-worth…An extraordinary debut.' Matthew Condon

‘Beautifully written, painfully honest…Kneen's stark, sensuous writing style and
clear-eyed honesty are immensely appealing.'
Big Issue

‘Sex in
Affection
is well written, but it's the contemplation in between that really
shines. Insightful, evocative and bluntly, but never gratuitously, honest…Sexy, sad
and deeply satisfying.' Emily Maguire,
Age

‘
Affection
is that rare beast: a sexual memoir that is not only uniquely interesting
and daringly explicit but is also poetic, offbeat, confronting and funny.' Linda
Jaivin,
Australian

Praise for
Triptych

‘I have great admiration for this book and frankly enjoyed reading it.'
Sydney Morning
Herald

‘This is an astounding look at different sorts of love and Kneen is, above all, a
sensualist.'
Adelaide Advertiser

‘With nods to Anaïs Nin and Vladimir Nabokov, Kneen writes with tenderness, joy and
delight. …Delightful, courageous and juicy.'
Big Issue

Krissy Kneen is a Brisbane writer. Her previous books are
Affection
(memoir),
Triptych
(erotica) and the literary novel
Steeplechase
.

www.furiousvaginas.com

@krissykneen

textpublishing.com.au

The Text Publishing Company

Swann House

22 William Street

Melbourne Victoria 3000

Australia

Copyright © 2015 by Krissy Kneen

The moral right of Krissy Kneen to be identified as the author of this work has been
asserted.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of
this publication shall be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise), without the prior permission of both the copyright owner
and the publisher of this book.

First published in 2015 by The Text Publishing Company

Cover and page design by Imogen Stubbs

Typeset by J&M Typesetting

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

Dewey Number: A823.4

This project has been assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia
Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

This book is for

Fiona Stager

dear friend and

purveyor of good literature at the

Avid Reader Orgone Accumulator Bookshop and Café

Nothing in the city was what it seemed—nothing at all!

ANGELA CARTER

The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman

Contents

PART 1

1991: A Book of Dreams

A Spy in the House of Love

The House of the Sleeping Beauties

1991: A Book of Dreams

Vox

Nadja

1996: A Book of Dreams

A Sport and a Pastime

Lolita

Philosophy in the Boudoir

Rodney's Story

The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman

1996: Of Orgone and Girls

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure

PART 2

Little Birds

The Lover

The Delta of Venus

The Eleven Thousand Rods

Remembering 1956: Listen Little Man

Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Story of O

The Bioelectrical Investigation
of Sexuality and Anxiety

Quiet Days in Clichy

The Recollections of a Mary-Ann

The 120 Days of Sodom

The She-devils

The Story of the Eye

PART 3

Fear of Flying

The Misfortunes of Virtue

Eat Me

The Butcher

A Thousand Nights and Then One Night

Acknowledgments

Thanks

PART 1

It is impossible to control your dreams.

The forbidden ones are incandescent.

They burn through resolutions like parchment.

JAMES SALTER

A Sport and a Pastime

1991: A Book of Dreams

Nicholson snuggles into his father's hug. His jacket smells of tobacco. His voice
is soft and there is a slight sweet odour from the nip of whisky he always takes
after dinner. These are the comforts of life, this strong arm around his shoulders,
these dark sweet scents.

His father is telling Nick's favourite story, the one about Dr Reich and the cloudbuster.

‘What does it look like Daddy?'

‘I just told you, Nicholson.'

‘Tell me again.'

His father eases away, his dark eyes peer down sternly; Nick blushes and wriggles
back into the hug. ‘Please? Please tell me again.'

‘It looks like a church organ, and it makes a whistling noise with all the metal
pipes shrieking towards heaven.'

‘Where were you, Daddy?'

‘I was hiding in the corridor. I was supposed to be asleep in Dr Reich's guest room
but I came out and found them there,
fighting for their lives. Would you hide in
your room?'

‘No!' Nick shouts, too loud. He presses his hand against his mouth.

‘No. You are my brave boy. You would fight till the bitter end. You would have been
there, just like I was, waiting to see if they needed my help.'

‘To fight off the bad EAs!'

‘Yes, exactly Nick. To fight off the EAs.'

‘Tell me about the EAs Daddy, please. Tell me, please, please.'

‘Nicholson, you know this and now you are getting too excited. This is supposed to
be your bedtime story.'

‘Pleeeease?'

‘They are the bright lights in the sky that some people call UFOs. Dr Reich thought
they were here to stop the orgone experiments. And only orgone energy would chase
them away.'