My thanks to my co-author and doppelganger Charles Michener go without saying. Barbara Brenner was of invaluable assistance early in this project. Sharon DeLano, my editor, has been superb throughout.
My stepmother, Chiquita, and her husband, Robert Everitt, were invaluable sources, as were Rita (Chissie) Chisholm; my oldest friend, Maitland Edey; Jacqueline Onassis, who gave me the courage to start the whole thing; my dear Aunt Lil; my “sister” Nancy Lutz; and of course my ex-wife, Cheray Hodges.
The following people generously added their memories to mine: Helen Edey, Toddie Findlay, Hector Diaz, Herbert B. Swope, Jr., John Richardson, Robert Silvers, Eddie Morgan, George Plimpton, Thomas Guinzburg, Francine du Plessix Gray, Bobby Brenner, Harvey Ginsberg, Dorothy Hirshon, Roscoe Lee Browne, Irene Selznick, Danny Selznick, Dr. William Cahan, Ann Sardi Gina, Henry Kissinger, Marian Goodman, Axie Whitney, Charles Baskerville, Slim Hyatt, Jean Warnecke, Maria Janis, and Rocky Cooper.
Thanks to the Fisks and the Mortimers for confirming that my old gate key still works at Arden; Dr. Peter Neubauer, for helping me figure out a few things about myself; Paul Miller, of the Preservation Society of Newport County, for his guided tour of Rosecliff and the information about my mother’s family; Dorothy and Dr. Yilmaz Durudogan, for kindly showing me through the house on Kay Street; my guitarist and vocalist Roberta Fabiano, my trumpet player Tone Kwas, and the other members of my band for their help and support; John Guare for suggesting the title; my agent, Al Lowman, for putting the project together; Rick Smith, of the Piano Exchange in Glen Cove, Long Island, for giving me that extraordinary day; Ann Schneider, photo researcher extraordinaire; and my assistant, Betty Walsh, for her tireless help and good humor.
Finally I’d like to thank my wife, Brooke, whose relentless good counsel and sound advice throughout the painful process earned her the nickname “the Goad.”