The Pornographer’s Daughter
A Memoir of Childhood, My Dad, and Deep Throat
More than forty years after Deep Throat arrived on the cultural scene and inspired a sexual revolution, questions about the ethics of pornography and its impact on society are still being asked.
I was only three years old in 1974 when my father, Anthony Battista, was indicted by the federal government for distributing the now famous porn film Deep Throat. The stress drove my mother, Frances Battista, to worry endlessly if her husband would be put in jail. She became so depressed that she attempted suicide.
I survived this family trauma to live a surprisingly normal life. But instead of leaving the past behind me, I developed a burning curiosity to understand my family's history. Why did the federal government so vehemently prosecute this case? And why did my father get involved in distributing this notorious porn film in the first place?
The Pornographer's Daughter is an insider's glimpse into the events that made Deep Throat and pornography so popular, as well as what it was like to come of age against the backdrop of the pornography business.
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The Pornographer’s Daughter
A Memoir of Childhood, My Dad, and Deep Throat
By Kristin Battista-Frazee
Skyhorse Publishing
Hardcover & ebook
On Sale: September 16, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62914-434-4
Price: $24.95
Trailer
This book trailer features the talented David Koechner, known for roles as Todd Packer on “The Office” and Champ Kind in “Anchorman” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”. David lends his character Gerald "T-Bones" Tibbons to the role of the obnoxious reporter who crashes David’s book round table event where I'm the special guest. It’s a funny, unique book trailer that will have you laughing. Produced and directed by Steve Barnett, producer of “300” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles", and editing and production work by Joe Homokay and James Penland.
“An honest and unadorned depiction of what it’s like to grow up in a house where hardcore pornography and live sex shows pay the bills. ”
— Robert Rosen, author of Beaver Street: A History of Modern Pornography
Reviews
“Kristin's historically fascinating story parallels our world today. Here is a collection of unique characters and storylines that you couldn’t make up if you tried. I couldn't be more excited to option her memoir as our inspiration for an incredible television series.”
—Steve Barnett, producer of “300” and “The Spiderwick Chronicles"
“A fascinating account about a piece of pop culture history as well as a story about a family caught up in trying circumstances. This book is bound to strike a chord with anyone who has ever tried to make sense of their family history.”
—Katrina Alcorn, author of Maxed Out: American Moms on the Brink
“Kristin's story is a fascinating and fun look at an era and series of events that changed our country. Even more compelling, at its core is an emotional story about a family and their struggle to stay together after being thrown into a tremendous amount of trouble.”
—David Koechner, actor, comedian, SNL alum, and producer known for his roles as Todd Packer on “The Office” and Champ Kind in “Anchorman” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”
“I’ve never read a porn book like The Pornographer’s Daughter. Kristin Battista-Frazee combines memoir, biography, and journalism in an entertaining and informative way that will really suck readers in.”
—Eric Danville, author of The Complete Linda Lovelace
“An honest and unadorned depiction of what it’s like to grow up in a house where hardcore pornography and live sex shows pay the bills. Set in a twilight zone somewhere between All in the Family and The Sopranos, the cast features a father facing federal obscenity charges in Memphis, a mother washing down Nembutal with shots of Wild Turkey, and a daughter taking it all in with the eye of a budding journalist. It’s miraculous that Battista-Frazee was able to persuade her family to tell her in such unsparing detail what went down when she was a child. The most surprising plot twist, however, is that Battista-Frazee emerged from the chaos and trauma to lead a shockingly normal, middle-class life. “
—Robert Rosen, author of Beaver Street: A History of Modern Pornography
Other mentions:
The New Social Worker Magazine, Book Review, May 19, 2015
Shuizmz, Book Review, The Pornographer's Daughter, November 10, 2014
The Beautiful Kind, Book Review: The Pornographer's Daughter, November 8, 2014
ItsFourthAndLong Blog, Book Review: The Pornographer's Daughter, October 22, 2014
Author Interviews & Press
Deep Throat @50: The Distributor, The Rialto Report, June 5, 2022
Creating Your Brand as a Non-Profit Professional, Successful Non-Profit Podcast
Sunday Night Safran with John Safran and Father Bob Mcguire, Triple J Radio Interview, October 4, 2015
New Social Worker Magazine, #NewSWBook Twitter Chat, May 20, 2015
Philadelphia Inquirer, The Pornographer's Daughter Comes Home, April 21, 2015
National Association of Social Workers, #SWBattistaFrazee Twitter Chat, April 16. 2015
Arlington Magazine, Adult Education, March 2015
Social Workers Speak, Memoir Chronicles How Father’s Decision to Enter Porn Industry Threatened Family, January 6, 2015
Daily Mail, My father the pornographer: Daughter of Deep Throat film distributor reveals, December 30, 2014
Sun Sentinel, Ex-Plantation woman shares untold story of 'Deep Throat' in memoir, December 30, 2014
Northern Virginia Magazine, Life, Family and Pornography, December 11, 2015
StorErotica Magazine, Interview by Brittany Black featuring Anthony Battista, December 2014
Orlando Sentinel, 'Pornographer's Daughter' remembers 'Deep Throat', December 1, 2014
Tallahassee Democrat, Local events held to celebrate the launch of the Memoir, The Pornographer’s Daughter, November 21, 2014
Radio Interview on CJAD 800 Passion with Dr. Laurie Betito, November 14, 2014
El Confidencial, Garganta Profunda' cambió mi infancia: confesiones de la hija de un pornógrafo, October, 21, 2014
Salon.com, My dad, the pornographer: How “Deep Throat” forever changed my childhood, October 19, 2014
South China Morning Post, E-/audiobook reviews: Non-fiction, by Charmaine Chan, October 18, 2014
VICE, My Father, the Pornographer (UK and US), October 15, 2014
Think Progress, Explicit Failure: How The Right Lost The War On Pornography, October 8, 2014
The Huffington Post, My Grandma Saw 'Deep Throat', October 6, 2014
ELLE Magazine Australia, Sex, Lies and Videotape, October 2014
Washingtonian Magazine, Deep Dive, September 2014
The Age, In Short Non-Fiction Pick of the Week, September 5, 2014
Australia's Daily Life, Book Extract, My Father Was Convicted of Distributing Pornography, August 30, 2014
The Sydney Morning Herald, Book Extract: Deep Trouble, August 30, 2014
Publisher's Weekly, Book Deals: Week of September 9, 2013
AIP Daily Interview, October 2012
Penthouse Forum, Exclusive Interview: Deep Throat, My Father and The Mob, July 2012
XBIZ Press Release, June 2012
AVN Press Release, June 2012
Phantom 105.2, radio interview, June 2012
Luke is Back Interview, May 2012
Book clubs
If you participate in a book club, consider adding The Pornographer's Daughter to your club's reading list. I can join your group in-person in the Washington, D.C. area or if you live anywhere else in the country we can meet online via Google Hangouts.
My visit will add an exciting dimension to your reading and provide your book club members insight into aspects of my story that you might not have otherwise learn about. Also here's your chance to ask me questions in real time so you won't be left wondering about the motivation in my storytelling.
Download a Book Club Discussion Guide
Book Events
Philadelphia Barnes & Noble, June 13, 2015
One More Page Books, May 7, 2015
Barnes & Noble in Lake Sumter Market Square, April 22, 2015
The Writer's Center, March 22, 2015
Barnes & Noble Plantation, March 5, 2015
Barnes & Noble Tallahassee, November 29, 2014
Books-A-Million McLean, October 24, 2014
The Strand Bookstore, NYC, September 26, 2014
Fall for the Book Festival, September 12, 2014
Kramerbooks, Washington DC, September 8, 2014