First and foremost, I want to thank my publisher and editor, Mike Stringer, for all his help and encouragement. As virtually every fiction writer will tell you, it is extremely difficult to get a short story collection published. Not only did Mike give me that chance, but he was able to convert a pile of stories into a book.

Now, Mike has managed this once again. I hope that this third volume will justify his continued support and hard work.

My high school friend, Linda Sperling, not only edited most of these stories, but she supplied scores of extremely helpful suggestions. A great storyteller, she has supplied me with numerous ideas which I shamelessly borrowed.  Indeed, she supplied the story ideas for “Daycare Dropout” and “Three Girls from Brooklyn.”

Chuck Stickney, another of my high school friends, made dozens of very helpful suggestions, and makes a few personal appearances in this collection. It was Chuck who actually suggested that I get my stories published as collection. Easy for him to say!

Jacqueline Seewald, another writer generously shared her extensive experience publicizing and selling her work. With more than a dozen novels to her credit, she has been a great inspiration.

I also want to thank all of my other friends who provided story ideas, or served as the models for characters in my stories. Among them are Norman Burstein, Patricia Eakin, David Ferguson, Mary Ferguson, Lois Getz, Brenda Greenberg, Linda Fredrick Grossman, Sol Grossman, Joyce Horowitz, Ellen Hoyt, Mary Pradt, Elaine Schulman, Arnie Schwartz, Maggie Shucker, Sheila Tron, and Bob Zimiles.

The day I met Beth Cummins, she showed me what would become the photo on the front cover. It is just one of many hundreds of amazing black and white photos of New York and New Yorkers that she has taken.

Finally, I want to thank my nieces, Eleni Zimiles, Liz Zimiles, Justine Zimiles, and Sophie Zimiles, for their very helpful comments about my stories.

The heart and soul of short story publishing are the small literary magazines. which consider submissions from unknown writers. Almost every story in this book appeared in one of the magazines listed here. I want to thank each of their editors, not just for publishing my work, but for their helpful criticism and encouragement.

Adelaide Literary Magazine, Bewildering Stories; Consciousness, Literature, and the Arts;  Corvus Review; Earl of Plaid, Expound Magazine,; Fox Adoption Magazine; Gangan Lit-Mag: Gangway;  Horror, Sleaze, Trash; Jeanette Cavalcade Cheezzum’s Cavalcade of Stars; Literary Yard; Magnolia Review; Metafore; Nude Bruce; Oklahoma Pagan Quarterly; Origami Journal; Our Day’s Encounter; Potluck; Rose City Review; Sit Lit Magazine; The Mindful Review; The Path Magazine; The Storyteller; Thousand One Stories; Umbrella Factory; Winamo; Zany Zygote Review.

– Steve