THANKS

I’m used to working in teams. I have worked with teams of all kinds and all sizes. The ability of your team to work together will determine the success of your project. This has been a remarkably pleasant experience. For that rare occurrence I would like to thank the following teammates:

First and foremost I would like to thank Margret McBride, my literary agent. Margret first saw me give an art lecture in San Diego and immediately came up to me and said, “You should write a book.” Sounds easy, but the work is very hard and constant, and she has proven to be a valiant warrior and a smooth diplomat. It was fun to see her switch into her secret identity of “Super-Agent” and slay all the dragons.

Faye Atchison, Margret’s co-worker who always knew where everybody was and how to get ahold of them. Essential for getting the project completed.

John Hassan, my talented collaborator who came with a boatload of experience and some very sharp eyes and ears that always steered me away from the rocks and onto the shore. John is like a world-class jockey who knows when to let his horse run on its own and when to apply the crop. This book would not have been the same without his sage advice.

To all the people at Hachette, starting with the amazing Gretchen Young, vice president and executive editor, who from the outset tirelessly championed my book in-house through every phase of the publishing process and editorial assistant Katherine Stopa, who insured every detail was completed. No matter how many times I tried, I could not bullshit them. I think the world of you. Thank you very much.

Thanks to Jamie Raab, my publisher, and Deb Futter, the editor-in-chief. I’m pretty sure they know what I’m doing.

To Brian Lemus for the outstanding cover that captures the essence of the story and you can see from across the airport.

Thanks to Melanie Gold (Managing Editorial), Jimmy Franco and Andrew Duncan (Publicity)—you can’t have enough publicity—and John Pelosi (Legal), who just chuckled when I said, “Aw, they’ll never notice.”

Thanks to Yvette Shearer, my publicist, whose motto is “Don’t worry; I’m on it.”

And a huge thank-you to Melissa Richardson Banks, who has done everything for me for more years than I care to mention. It would take longer than the pages I have to list all the things she does for me. She knows when I’m about to freak out and just smiles and says, “I’ll take care of it.” My life would be very different without her unswerving support.

To Hugh M. Davies, who as director of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), opened doors and welcomed new voices in Chicano art.

Thank you to Stan Coleman, my best friend and lawyer (go figure), who has been there by my side protecting me for what seems like the last two hundred years.

To Tommy Chong, with whom by now I share certain DNA strains. We have shared enough scenarios to fill five more books.

To Linda Livingston, my oldest and dearest friend, who has been there from the very start and knows where all the bodies are buried, but more important, where all the photographs are, because she took them.

Thank you to Lou Adler for believing in us and me and for all the early guidance and the pictures along the way.

Most of all, thanks to my beautiful and talented wife, Natasha, who is always the first to read whatever I write. Somehow we have found each other, and I thank my lucky stars every day.