just_a_girl (22 page)

This story began as a research masters in creative writing at the University of Sydney. Special mention to Sue Woolfe for her encouragement in getting me started and then giving me the confidence to keep rolling forward, and for her uncanny intuition about what feels right. Also to David Brooks for his calm comments and great teachings. Thanks to my agent, Virginia Lloyd, Terri-ann White at UWA Publishing for seeing the potential, my excellently thorough editor Linda Martin for showing me what being on the other side of the fence feels like (in a good way) and Claire Armstrong for organising copyright permissions.

Cheers to those who have contributed to piecing this project together with their ideas, memories, advice, inspiration and experience: Damon Girbon, Fee Cleverly, Marg Maguire, Phil Crowe, Nigel Krauth, Caron Krauth, Alinta Krauth, Shan Krauth, Rimas Milasas, Deidhre Wauchop, Chris Wauchop, Michelle Avedissian, Shoni Maguire, Fi Maguire, Denise Boseley, Megan Woods, Lesley Krauth, Vic Krauth, Kate Hickey, Rachel Sinclair, Jill Gardner, Pete Powell, Gael Spooner, Peter Hobbins, Drew Macrae, Nan Maguire, David Maguire, Michelle Webster, Jane Johnston, Victoria Dawson, Siggi Milasas, Maddi Milasas, Jon Bauer, Adam Ford, Anna Hedigan, Martine Murray, Kate Holden, Alex Hutchinson, Wendy James, Angela Savage, Michaela Zappia, Julia Tsalis and all the team at the NSW Writers’ Centre, and my lovely littlies Finn and Greta.

Many quotes and details have come from the online LoveDoll community including the RealDoll website at <
www.realdoll.com
>. Thanks to the fellas there who helped answer some of my questions about dolls. A number of italicised facts in the Tadashi chapters are direct quotes or based on the following articles. See: Purchasing wigs for love dolls: The Doll Forum FAQ, originally at <
www.dollforum.com
> Orient Industry official supplier of love dolls to Japanese Antarctic Research Station:
3 Yen,
‘i-doloids! Love Dolls for Japan and the rest of the world’, <
http://news.3yen.com/2008-01-04/i-doloidslove-dolls-for-japan-and-the-rest-of-the-world/
> Love dollcalling services with over 100 clients:
A Glimpse of the World,
Mark Schreiber, ‘Silicone ladies at your beck and call’, <
www.howardwfrench.com/archives/2005/04/silicone_ladies/
> History of sex dolls, historical evidence of sailor’s term ‘dame de voyage’: Wikipedia, ‘sex doll’, <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_doll
>.

The incident about the boy at the pizza shop is based on a true story as told in the media by social worker Les Twentyman.

For more information on the Kappa myth: see ‘Kappa – River Imp in Japanese Shinto and Buddhist Traditions’, <
www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kappa.shtml
> and Foster, Michael Dylan,
The Metamorphosis of the Kappa: Transformation of Folklore to Folklorism in Japan,
Asian Folklore Studies, Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, 1998.

Layla’s assignment into the Long Island Lolita is based on the true story of Amy Fisher. There’s an avalanche of information and gossip on the internet. The film starring Drew Barrymore is
The Amy Fisher Story
and the book Layla buys is by Amy Fisher & Sheila Weller,
Amy Fisher: My Story,
Pocket Books, New York, 1993.

The interplay between Layla and the Newcastle man is based on an earlier writing exercise via online chat acted out with my friend and fellow writer Alex Hutchinson, who took on the part of
youami33.
Thanks, Alex, for your ideas and input.

Some of Layla’s comments have been inspired by the words of teenagers who have appeared on episodes of SBS’s
Insight
program, talking about sex, religion, technology, porn, relationships and drugs.

The
prayer
is translated from:

‘Prayer to Purification through Misogi’,
Shinto Norito – A Book of Prayers
by Ann Llewellyn Evans, Tenchi Press/Trafford Publishing, Canada, 2001.

Used with permission.