Try Not to Think of a Pink Elephant

by Patrick Marlborough, Katharine Pollock, Sienna Rose Scully

Try Not to Think of a Pink Elephant is a collection of real-life stories about living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Contributors are Martin Ingle on OCD and sexual intimacy; Dani Leever on contamination-based OCD; Patrick Marlborough on living with OCD in NYC; Katharine Pollock on over-achievement and control of food and body; and Sienna Rose Scully on the untimely death of her mother, an event that actualised her most persistent OCD obsession.At times humorous, at times heartbreaking, this engaging anthology on mental health and invisible illnesses will keep you on the edge of your seat, compelling you to read on as five talented authors tell their stories about living with OCD.

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2022

About the author

Patrick Marlborough is an underemployed writer/comedian/musician/drongo living with their parents in Walyalup, Western Australia. They have been published in Vice, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Slate, Gawker, Meanjin, Crikey, Kotaku, The Lifted Brow, Kill Your Darlings, Cordite, Going Down Swinging and various other forgotten blogs, magazines, and anthologies. The manuscript for their first novel, A Horse Held at Gunpoint, was shortlisted for the Fogarty Literary Award in 2021 and is still looking for a publisher. They are the founder and editor of The Yeah Nah Review, as well as Wharf Rat Press. They co-author all of their work with their bad dog, Buckley, who is solely responsible for any problematic elements therein.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved all of these stories! Read it in one day. Can’t believe this book has only been shelved 3 times. My eyes have been opened about OCD (the goal) but also pleasantly surprised about the stories about life within. My favourite quotes:

- “Flour was on sale at Woolworths and I thought we could bond over that” (OCD excuse for asking for the ingredients of a cake)
- “I wonder if I should be looking forward to a life of extremely large scarves and heterosexuality”
- “They’re recreating the stories that they’ve seen and heard and envied their whole lives. They’re playing the parts written for them”.
- “I truly believed that freelance writing was the only viable career for someone with a personality disorder”
- “I have too many cousins [in perth] to make using tinder truly enjoyable”