The Royal Family

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to thank the following people and institutions for their assistance in this project:

Noah Richler of BBC Radio paid for the auditions of several Tenderloin whore-queens and tall men. At the San Francisco Public Defender’s office, Ron Albers, Matt Gonzalez, Daro Inouye (who makes a cameo appearance as a friend of my entirely imaginary Henry Tyler) kindly answered many questions about bail and other legal-ethical matters. So did Al Graf and Geri Compana of Al Graf Bail Bonds in San Francisco and Roger Adair of Ace Bail Bonds in Sacramento. I would also like to thank the supervisory deputy D.A. in Sacramento, Albert Locher, for his time and trouble. Chuck Pfister in San Francisco and John Walsh and David McBride in Sacramento taught me a few fundamentals of private investigative procedure and gave me loads of local color.

Laurie Berkman, Debbie Trevellini, Jeanine Bray, an anonymous employee of Planned Parenthood (all of San Francisco), Shauna Heckert of the Feminist Women’s Health Center (Sacramento), Regina Lorenzo and her friend Bill (New York City), and other women who wish to be unnamed gave me useful information on abortion clinics.

Ruth Ellis and her colleague Teddy at the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library allowed me to see some old photographs of the Sacramento region which added to the train context.

Mr. Jacob Dickinson of Los Angeles discussed chip design and security as it related to the RoboGraphix chapter.

Paul Wilner at the San Francisco Examiner got me access to the chief medical examiner’s office, whose staff I would like to thank. Most of the notes I took there wound up in my long essay on violence, Rising Up and Rising Down, of which Paul published a smidgeon (not to mention the Geary Street and financial district chapters of this book). However, more than enough descriptions remained to be inlaid into the tale of Dan Smooth’s demise. Dr. Jasper, Connie, and the autopsy doctor do not represent any particular real-life individuals.

Jonathon Keats of San Francisco Magazine was kind enough to publish a small excerpt from the beginning of this novel. He also encouraged, then rejected, the “Essay on Bail.”

Jean Stein and Deborah Treisman, both then of Grand Street, published other snippets of this novel and sent me delicious cold cash. My thanks and friendship will always go to those two most nurturing Muses.

Vanessa Renwick protected, comforted and cherished me when a certain street prostitute and I were treated in a degrading fashion.

Against his better judgment, Paul Slovak at Viking permitted me to refrain from cutting the book by one-third. Paul, I want to thank you for having stood by me for so long. (As for me, I was a good boy, too. Since I refused the page cut, I took a royalty cut instead.)

Mike Pulley and Lizzy Kate Gray hopped freights with me (Lizzy’s maiden voyage took her all the way from Sacramento to West Sacramento. Mike’s took him as far as Marysville before the heat got to him.) Mike got me access to the new Sacramento coroner’s facility, which proved good for many of Dan Smooth’s finer moments. He also drove me around and kept me company while I took note on Sacramento and San Francisco street scenes. Mr. Kent Lacin listened patiently to my half-baked theories on Buddhism and drug addiction. William Linne discussed Gnostic Scriptures with me in and out of various Tenderloin bars. My old friend Ben Pax has chatted with me about Christian spiritual issues many times over the years. Some of our conversations meandered into the text, or at least stained it. Mr. Chuck Stevens and I met several nice Tenderloin prostitutes together. Mr. David Golden kept me cheerful company on a few nighttime Tenderloin strolls, and allowed me to use his car in place of a photographic tripod. Heaven the barmaid deserves a book of her own. Peter at City Lights bookstore has done me many kindnesses.

Mandy Aftel spent a good $250 photocopying and mailing this manuscript to the Proper Authorities. Dr. Janice Ryu gave me access to pertinent medical facts.

Larry McCaffery and his wife and Sinda Gregory introduced me to the Imperial Valley and in particular to Slab City, a place of some interest to Henry Tyler. I just may write another novel set there.

Most of all, I would like to thank the San Francisco and Sacramento street prostitutes whom I have gotten to know over the years. Without them I never could have imagined “the life.”