This book is dedicated to my publisher, editor and friend, Damon Sauve, of Berkeley, in honor of our working relationship which has now lasted almost a decade.

And every hockey game has its Three Stars, and mine go out to Melanie Hassler, whose enthusiasm and special friendship has sparked me; Courtney Reardon, whose love and support of me has remained a cornerstone for me through good times and bad; and Michel Varisco, for scoring me the Writing Cottage in which I can continue to write without being bothered by strange New Orleans Goth chicks wanting rough sex.

Special thanks to Allen Tanner, my closest lifelong friend; Craig Nelson, for something or other; Carlos Carrasco and Dorian Rush, for helping my drunk ass to bed; Judith Ferster and Larry Johnson, as always; Holden R. McGowin, who I will be there for once he hits puberty, gets pissed off at his mother's Holly Hobby bullshit and comes knocking at my door; my brother, Rob; Donald Ault, who taught me much, and my parents, who taught me what they could.

Thanks also to those who in one way or another have personally helped me in some way with this project: Walker Humphrey, The Gambit Weekly, Melissa at 3 AM magazine, Thaddeus Frick, Garrison Keillor, William T. Vollmann, Sara Ellen McGowin, Mario Lemieux, Nick Gerogiannis, Ted Galaris, Tony Talavera, Terry Bradshaw, and Trudy Oppenheim. Truly God has Joined Us All Together.

Finally, I wish to acknowledge that there are quite a number of persons, both real and imaginary, who deserve no thanks from me for presenting them as the fools they seem to have dedicated their lives to being—but don't worry! They're in the book! In fact, that's why I wrote it.

Kevin McGowin
New Orleans
March 1, 2002