Xaviera Hollander

About Xaviera Hollander

Xaviera Hollander, of course, is a name that should already be familiar to most participants on this site. To a considerable degree, she is best known as the author of THE HAPPY HOOKER. (Full title: THE HAPPY HOOKER: MY OWN STORY) but has penned multiple books and been the subject of numerous (5) films. She has also appeared on film at least twice, including her MY PASSION IS MY BUSINESS. Many sites seem to identify her as a "Dutch former call-girl" (and madam) and/or author(ess).

Her career as an author of course began on the heels of her successful career as both prostitute and madam, but it has arguably been the highest profile of her career. (She also penned a sexual advice column for PENTHOUSE for 35 years, beginning in 1972, titled "Call Me Madam".)

As I dug into her bio, however, I found that her backstory is very interesting on several accounts, much unknown to most of us. (It doesn't begin and end in NYC by any stretch.)

Xaviera was born Xaviera de Vries in 1943, in what was then the Dutch East Indies, while it was under Japanese occupation. She actually lived out the first 3 years of her life in a Japanese internment camp. (The land later became Indonesia). However, she is considered a member of the Netherlands in terms of her nationality.

Her father was a psychiatrist and also the head of a hospital. She showed her literary gifts at an early age by writing and editing for her school magazine, went on to take a secretarial course, and won a contest organized by Manpower Services, emerging as "Holland's Best Secretary."

She then proceeded to resign from her secretarial job for the Dutch consulate in 1968 in order to become a $1000-a-night call girl in NYC. (This was the equivalent of almost 8x that amount today). She proceeded to open her brothel and soon became NYC's leading madam. She was arrested for prostitution in 1971 and forced to leave the United States.

Undaunted, Xaviera proceeded to write a book about her experiences (although she had the help of a ghostwriter, Yvonne Dunleavy, and a dictation-taker, Robin Moore, who came up with the book's title.) Besides her best-known work, she has written numerous others as well as produced plays in Amsterdam.

i should note that some of her biography is very sketchy and unverified at this stage. Oddly, perhaps, among the details I've been unable to narrow down are her measurements. I can't seem to find a reliable site, even for her height and weight. (I trust neither the site that gave 6'1" and 132 nor the one that gave 4'1" and 238, with some justification as I'm sure you'll agree.)
I have also seen her net worth estimated at $1.5 billion and only $1 to 5 million. (Of course, income is always easier to verify than total expenditures.) She was born on a Tuesday, if that's any help to anyone.

Even the names of her mother and father weren't given on any site I checked. (In light of this, the "facts" given about her father above should probably be taken with a grain of salt.)

TRIVIA: Xaviera's astrological sign is Gemini. She was born in the Year of the Goat in the Chinese Zodiac. Her Life Path # (whatever that might be) is 11. Her birth flower is Rose. Her birthstone is Pearl, along with Moonstone and Alexandrite. (Pearl, be it noted, has long been a symbol of purity, and as a birthstone suggests modesty, chastity, and stable marriages--which makes it clear something is jammed up somewhere.)

She has been known to go by the nickname "Vera".

She lived in South Africa in her young 20s, which she (wisely) left for the U.S.

Her NYC brothel was known as Xaviera's Happy Home, according to one source, and The Vertical Whorehouse by another. (I'm siding with the second since her madam years preceded a book title that was suggested by someone else!)

Currently 79, she is washed-up by anyone's measure and should be retired to a lovely quiet meadow somewhere. (Somehow, I doubt she'll pay this proviso any attention.)

Personally, I've never considered Xaviera terribly photogenic, but there's a certain appeal to some of her stills in that they seem to capture an essential "wildness" to her spirit. My strong favorite involves her composing naked, at a typewriter. (If I can get it to upload, you will see it here soon.)

I doubt I'm finished exploring this "young" lady's story, but this'll do for now.