1989->A Novel The novel I
am currently working on, 1989->A Novel is set during the summer and
fall of the year 1989, and explores the relationship between Timothy Dylan Page, a twenty-one year old college
student, and April Hall, a sixteen year old high
school student, who meet while working together at the
Santa Zita Movies I & II in the seaside
town of Santa Zita, California. 1989->A Novel is Volume II of the Santa Zita Quintet. Neil Alexander Offspring of wealthy Southern Californians
who lives in Blythe Canyon. A resident of Kane College's
Dorm II during the 1987-88 school year and part of Todd Fox's group of friends.
He and Roxy scammed during their freshman year. Alice (see Alice Tam) Sofia Aligheri Sophie is another
member of Tim's group of friends at UC Santa Zita. She grew up in in the mountains
over-looking the town of Galena, California, where her
father was a struggling grower of agave cactus. Later he realized that the
climate was far more favorable for the growing of wine grapes, and became a
respected winemaker. It's a legend in Sophie's family that they are descended
from the Aligheris of Dante fame, but this is possibly just a small joke on the
part of the author. During her freshman and first part of her sophomore years she went out
with George, though by the time of summer 1989
she is in a relationship with Todd Forrest. Alta Lara Suburban community in the mid-peninsula region of the San
Francisco Bay Area. Home to Standford
University; the place where Tim, Jake, Sarah, George, Todd Forrest and Peter grew up. Helen and
Alice lived there during their high school years. Alta Lara High School One of two high
schools in Alta Lara, this is the one attended by many of
the characters in the Santa Zita Quintet,
including Jake,
Helen, Peter, Sarah,
Alice, Jody,
and George, but not Tim.
Alta Lara High has had a number of notable
graduates, including Joan Baez and Pigpen, the original keyboardist for the Grateful Dead. Amy (see Amy Mulligan) Andrea (see Andrea Hall) Anna (see Anna Fahren) April (see April Hall) August (see August Callahan) Baked, bakester To be stoned; ie, to have smoked
marijuana to a mind-altering degree. By extension, a bakester is one who gains
pleasure from said activity, and getting baked is to be actively placing onself
in that state. Beware, though, because too much getting baked can result in becoming
burnt. Bakersville A city about twenty
miles southeast of Santa Zita, Bakersville is an
agricultural center and predominately Hispanic. Jessica has an internship there during the summer of 1989. Bakersville was one of the cities most damaged by the
Yaçoan quake in October 1989. Robin Bailor Friend of Paul,
Amy and Sara's who
lives on third floor Dorm I of Kane College
during the 1989-90 school year. Bayview Community on the San Francisco Bay located just south of
Alta Lara. Home of the Shoreline Ampitheater and, during Furthermore, Dotcom,
Yippee!, where Jay Thorn works. Beachland Santa Zita One of
Santa Zita's principal tourist attractions, an old-fashioned amusement park
built along the beach near the outlet of the San Christobal river.
Home of the Orion, one of the few all-wooden rollercoasters left on the west coast. Beachland
Santa Zita has given its name to the somewhat sketchy neighborhood nearby. Bernadette Kind of a Deadhead/granola chick; hangs out in
Roxy and Tina's group, as well as with
Davey and Pete. Bill Gretchen's
boyfriend at the time of Helen of Santa Zita. He is nearly
always accompanied by his friend and housemate, Frank. Stone Blaze Evening drivetime disc
jockey on radio station KUMM during the 2 to 6pm timeslot, at least during
the period of the Santa Zita Quintet. Tim and Jake's favorite
DJ. Blythe Canyon Community in the
hills above Santa Zita, inhabited mostly by UC Santa Zita students, drug dealers, draft dodgers and
others who don't have much use for civilized society. Todd Fox's
friend Neil lives there in a swank house known for throwing
the most epic ragers in Santa Zita. Dave Bobidorf Anna's
perpetually absent housemate in Three Weddings & A Whole Lot of Beer, Dave truly comes
into his own as the Chief Financial Officer of a beleaguered online music provider in
Furthermore, Dotcom. Todd Bomble Friend of Ellery's
and Gretchen's boyfriend during the later parts of
tdp (Timothy Dylan Page). Brad (see Brad Delp) Brent (see Brent Skranslatt) Bristle Helen's cat, the last gift to her from Todd Fox. Bristle is a lithe, cross-eyed hyperactive
creature, perpetually meowing due to hunger and need for attention. She spends
much of her time hanging around with her kitty friend Shameless. Burnt To be tired and lethargic; lacking motivation.
Frequently the result of too much Milwaukee's Best and getting baked. In extreme circumstances, it may require one to go to
the "burn unit". Cafe Nightingale Cafe in
downtown Santa Zita, housed in a three-story Victorian
mansion with wrap-around deck. Favored hang out spot for both Santa Zita
residents and UC Santa Zita students. Caleb (see Caleb Rector) August Callahan April's best friend, Caleb's
ex-girlfriend and cashier at the Santa Zita Movies I & II. August is a drop-out from
San Francisco State (though she does take a class at Pulgas Community College) and
also works at Boreland Software. Chris (see Chris Corso) Christa (see Christa Pratt) Christian (see Christian Long) The City On the Hill Volume I of the
Santa Zita Quintet, this novel
is set during Tim Page's freshman year at
UC Santa Zita over the
school year of 1987-1988, and tells the story of how he first meets and becomes
friends with Helen, Jessica, Jake, Peter,
Roxy and Sophie.
The Claimstake House where Jake, Sophie, Roxy, Peter and Mick live during their junior and senior years at UC Santa Zita. Jake and Peter alternated with Roxy and
Sophie between sharing the master bedroom and occupying the smaller rooms singly,
while Mick occupied the unheated laundry room next to the garage on the first
floor. The Claimstake is located on either St. Petersburg
or Odessa streets, depending on which novel you accept as canonical. College H UC Santa Zita's eighth and unnamed
college. For most of the Santa Zita Quintet College H doesn't even have a
proper home, being located instead in Straegh Hall. Not until Tim's senior year does it have an actual campus,
built on a hill between Redwood and Handler
colleges. Contemporary American Fiction A class that Joseph
Harkes teaches at UC Santa Zita nearly every year during the winter quarter. Works
in the class's syllabus include Where I'm Calling From, Crazy For Love,
Sula, Nothing At All, The Pyre of the Prides, China Men,
The Mezzanine and Slaves of New York; some of which will be found in the real world, and some of
which won't. Tim, Helen,
Jessica and Todd Fox take this class during their sophomore
years, and Helen is a teaching assistant for it during Helen of Santa Zita,
when Michael Sullivan, Peak and Maria
are in her section. Chris Corso Resident of Kane College's
Dorm I during the 1987-88 school year; music-lover and renowned for writing his
environmental studies papers while tripping on acid. During the summer of 1989,
he got together with Alice and Helen's rocker friend Heidi.
Some of Chris's favorite bands include Steelpole Bathtub, the Melvins and some band from Seattle called
Nirvana. Crazy For Love Edgy alternative
thriller that was released during the winter of 1990. One of
Tim and Helen's
favorite movies of all time, it tells the story of Samantha and Tyler's
cross-country trek away from Samantha's over-protective father and their
involvement with and escape from a speed-dealing trucker. The movie became
controversial because the movie ratings board refused to give it an R. Rather
than cut it, the director (Steven J. Gallows) opted to release it unrated. The movie was loosely
based on a novel by novelist Jacob Trainor, a novel which Joseph Harkes actually teaches in his Contemporary
American Fiction class. In Santa Zita the movie was
controversial for different reasons, for its objectification of the female
protoganist, which was found to be un-PC. The Cyclops Eye Irish bar in downtown
Santa Zita; a favorite haunt of Ellery
and Gretchen's. Dave (see David Stone or Dave Bobidorf) Davey (see Davey Jackson) David (see David Stone) Mick Frederick Deal Intellectual yet
possessing the savage heart of a lonely hunter, Mick is one of the more enigmatic
presences in the Santa Zita Quintet. He grew up in
the outskirts of San Diego, where he conceived a love of masculinist literature,
malt liquor and long-distance running, all pastimes he continued and deepened his
acquaintance with once he came to UC Santa Zita.
During his freshman year he lived on the fabled fifth floor of Kane College's Dorm I, where he was
roommates with Jake. Dead Oak Another community on the shores of the
Terra Nueva Bay, Dead Oak is a popular place for
UC Santa Zita students to live-in particular.
Roxy, and Bernadette
and Tina live there during their sophomore and junior years.
The hospital where Andrea works is also located there. The Deep & Savage
Way Volume III of the Santa
Zita Quintet, this novel is written from the point of view of Michael Sullivan and set during winter quarter of
1990. Intellectual and introspective by nature, UC Santa
Zita Michael is estranged from his dormitory floormates and in love
with his literature TA Helen Zachary. He sees no hope
of meaningful contact with either until he comes to know and befriend his
neighbor, junior Timothy Page, who guides him
through Santa Zita and all it has to offer. Currently
available for your enjoyment online. Del Rio One of three TransPacific
movie theaters in the city of Santa Zita, the Del Rio is located right on the
downtown mall. The Del Rio was damaged during the Yaçoan quake
and closed for several months-which caused an assistant manager there, Vince, to move to the
Santa Zita Movies I & II. Brad Delp Humphrey College
senior that Helen dates during
her junior year while on the rebound from breaking up with Todd Fox. Dimaleum One of several movie theaters in downtown
Santa Zita, but not of the ones owned by the
TransPacific Corporation Mostly shows art films and movies that
move there from larger theaters, such as Crazy For Love. Dorm I One of Kane
College's four dormitories, and one of two that overlook that college's
deeply symbolic moat. Dorm I is the location of much of the action of the Santa Zita Quintet. During Tim's freshman year, there was an election in which
it was decided that it should be named Malcom X Dorm, but for some reason the
results of that caucus were never implemented. Dorm II The other Kane
College dormitory that overlooks the moat. Dorm II is mainly noted for being where
Todd Fox and his group of friends lived during their freshman year. Ellery (see Ellery Hewson) Epic Perhaps the highest term of opprobrium that can be applied in
Santa Zita Quintet, particularly in reference to a
rager. Anna Fahren Jake's girlfriend during the
post-Santa Zita era, including Back to the Hotel and Three Weddings &
a Whole Lot of Beer. Miranda Farlong A friend of Sophie's
from Galena whom Jake had a brief fling with during
his sophomore year. She's beautiful, from a rich family and horny as a mountain goat, so guys tend to dig her. Flake To opt out of an obligation or
opportunity. See also, shine. Todd Forrest As in the real world,
there are a multiplicity of Todds in the Santa Zita Quintet.
Todd Forrest grew up in Alta Lara (though he did not attend Alta Lara High)
and was friends with Jake, Peter and Dave Stone, and went out with Sarah for a while. At the
time of 1989->A Novel, he and Sophie are a couple, having gotten together at a party
at Riga Street the previous spring, when Todd was
visiting from school back east. Todd Fox One of many Todds who appear in
the Santa Zita Quintet, Todd Fox was Helen's boyfriend (with one major interuption) for
almost two years, from the end of summer of 1988 until winter 1990. His final breakup
with Helen just before the beginning of Helen of
Santa Zita incites the action of that novel's plot. Todd is part of a large
group of friends, distinct but interconnected in various ways with Tim's
gang. Todd's group includes his housemates John Wray and
Brent, as well as Willoughby,
Neil, Torrance, Missy and
Katie, most of whom lived in Kane College's
Dorm II during their freshman year. Frank Best friend and housemate to Gretchen's
boyfriend Bill. Frank is quite large and has a (very much unrequited) crush on
Helen. Fremont College UC Santa Zita's first college, Fremont College is noted for its magnificent views
of the entire Terra Nueva bay area. Tim's friend
from Alta Lara, Shek, attended Fremont College, as did Peter and George. Maria Gaier Fifth-year senior who is a member of the section
Helen teaches for
Contemporary American Fiction. Galena Very picturesque town in the heart
of the Napa Valley wine country, about half-way between Napa and Calistoga. Galena is where
Sophie, Lana and Jake's brief acquaintance
Miranda grew up. Periodically the characters in the
Santa Zita Quintet make expeditions to Galena which usually
result in epic raging. Steven J. Gallows Director of the film
adaption of the novel Crazy For Love. George (see George Smith) Tina Gladwynn Resident of the all-female middle section of
Kane College's fifth floor Dorm I during the 1987-88 school year,
along with Roxy, Bernadette and
Robin. During their sophomore year, Tina lives with Bernadette and Roxy in
Dead Oak. Gorky Street Disreputable house where
Pete and Davey live. A favorite hangout of
Mick's, this run-down one-story house is located on one
of the many streets in Santa Zita named after a Russian
city. Gretchen Grant Friend of Helen's from Alta Lara High, though not part of the same
group as Jake, Peter, Sarah, and the rest. Helen got back in touch with her
during the summer of 1989 when she was looking for a
housemate to replace Jessica at Holly
street. Like Helen, Tim and Mick,
Gretchen is a literature major, and was also a
teaching assistant for Joseph Harkes in
Contemporary American Fiction. The Grateful Dead Except for some
minor adjustments in tour schedules, set lists and biographical details, the Grateful
Dead mentioned in the Santa Zita Quintet
are pretty much the same as in the real world. Gretchen (see Gretchen Grant) Peter Greunblum Jake's best friend, another graduate of Alta Lara High, and incurable romantic, Peter is a loyal
and steadfast friend. During high school he briefly dated Helen, but by the time of
Helen of Santa Zita, he is in the midst of a
relationship with Jamie, a King College sophomore.
Like George, he lived at Fremont
College during his freshman year, where he dated Kelly for a while. Jessica Gross Helen's best friend, whom she met when they were
roommates freshman year on fifth floor Dorm I. She grew up in Santa Monica, though most of
her extended family lives in New York City. During her sophomore year and summer
afterwards (the fabled summer of 1989) Jessica was
housemates with Helen and Lana on Holly Street. Andrea Hall April's mother and ex-wife of Joseph Harkes. Single mother and recovering
alcoholic, Andrea holds down two jobs-as weekend manager of Wishing
Well and administrator at Dead Oak Hospital. Andrea is also an accomplished
amateur potter. April Hall Sixteen year old Santa Zita High junior; object of Tim's affections in 1989->A Novel. Pretty, rebellious and creative,
April is close to her mother Andrea but also fights
with her a lot. She is part of a large group of friends in Santa Zita, composed of high school and college students,
as well as drop-outs from both. Her best friend and mentor is August, and some of her other friends include Mandy, Star, Alison and
Shanna. Like Helen and Sophie, April is an only child. Handler College Handler is known as
UC Santa Zita's artsy college and some of its residents in the past have
included Jello Biafra and members of the band Camper Van Beethoven. Among the characters in the
Santa Zita Quintet
who have been affiliated with Handler at some point include Ellery,
Gretchen and Bottomfeeder, not to mention
Caleb Rector. Joseph Harkes Professor of Literature
at UC Santa Zita, who specializes in 20th century
American fiction. His favorite writer of all time is Vladimir Nabakov, and his
favorite novel is Lolita. Joseph is a good teacher and brilliant thinker,
but his career has been held back by his questionable judgment. Among the classes he teaches are
Contemporary American Fiction and
Introduction to Aesthetics. Heidi (see Heidi Ovruchskaya) Helen (see Helen Zachary) Helen of Santa Zita Volume
IV of the Santa Zita Quintet, this is one
of the works I salvaged from the wreckage of Notes For a
Future Novel. Told from the point of view of Helen Zachary, Helen of Santa Zita is the tale of
her getting over breaking up with her boyfriend, Todd Fox.
Currently available for your enjoyment
online. Ellery Hewson Resident of Holly street during the 1989-90 school year. Jessica had a crush on him during her sophomore year;
and Helen's friend Sarah
got together with him when she visited him late spring quarter of that year,
somewhat to Jessica's chagrin. Todd Hirsch Another one of the seemingly endless
number of Todds in the world of the Santa Zita Quintet, Todd Hirsch
works at the Santa Zita Movies I & II
during the summer of 1989. When not working there, Todd enjoys working out at Gold's Gym and
listening to Schooly D, NWA, and Too Short. Like April, Todd attends
Santa Zita High, but they are members of quite different social circles there. Holly Street The street in downtown Santa Zita where Helen lives during her entire time in
Santa Zita, with the exception of her freshman year, of course. During her sophomore year
she shares the house with Jessica and Lana, while during her
junior year her housemates are Ellery and Gretchen.
For obvious reasons, Helen's house is often referred to as "Holly Street". Humphrey College One of UC Santa Zita's
original colleges, and the one neighboring Fremont. Helen's
brief acquintance, Brad Delp, is a student there. Humphrey is known
for having the most conservative students at UCSZ, which means, course, that they're merely moderate democrats.
Appropriately enough, the college is named for politician Hubert H. Humphrey. Robin Hurley Deadhead chick who lived on the fifth floor of
Dorm I her freshman year, was mainly friends with Sophie,
Lana, Davey and Pete.
She and Davey went out for a while. Incense & Insensibility
Tim's novel of college life in Santa Zita
that he writes during tdp (Timothy Dylan Page). The plot revolves around
the disappearance and reclaiming of the legendary KUMM bong. The novel's main characters
are poet Christian Long and the
beautiful yet moody Miranda Price. Stylistically it is an unlikely fusion of
Ian Fleming and Jane Austen. Davey Jackson Resident of the infamous
Gorky Street house, bud dealer, imbiber of Jack Daniels in copious quantities,
and prone to picking fights with guys twice his size, Davey is an entertaining but occasionally
disruptive presence in the Santa Zita Quintet. Invariably found in the
company of his best friend Pete, and frequently with his drinking buddy
Mick. Davey and Robin are intermittently lovers. Jake (see Jake Reuben) Jamie (see Jamie Price) Jessica (see Jessica Gross) Jody Moderately attractive girl from
Alta Lara High who was mainly friends there with
Helen and Alice. Jake
went out with her briefly during his junior year of high school, right before he started dating
Christa. Jake and George's friendship almost
came to an end when George slept with Jody while she was going out with Jake,
but then they got baked together and all was forgiven. Sarah
has a long-standing dislike for her since she felt Jody stole so many guys from her. Jody and Helen worked
together at Those Shoes during the summer of 1988. John (see John Wray) Joseph (see Joseph Harkes) Kane College Kane College is one of UC Santa Zita's eight colleges, and happens to be the one
attended by many of the characters in the novels, including Tim, Helen, Jessica, Jake, Roxy, Sophie, Lana and Mick. Kane College's most
distinctive feature is its moat separating its two tower-like dormitories from
the rest of the college. Kane College is named after newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane II,
whose family endowed the college upon UC Santa Zita's founding in the late
1960s. Kane College has four dormitories, numbered roman numerals I through IV.
All of the aforementioned characters lived in Dorm I during their freshman year, most
on the fifth floor. Todd Fox and his friends, on the other hand, lived in
Dorm II. During his junior year, Tim returns to Dorm I, where he meets various
residents such as Michael Sullivan, Amy
Mulligan and Sara Kestler. Katie Friend of Missy's, part of
Todd Fox's group of friends. During Helen of Santa Zita,
Helen suspects Todd of getting together with Katie after their break-up. Kelly (see Kelly Weiran) Sara Kestler Attractive and vivacious,
Sara is Amy's room-mate and best friend on
the fifth floor of Kane's College's Dorm I. She is the prime mover of many of the dorm's social
activities, including the legendary chain party of Valentine's Day 1990, which
triggers Michael's crisis of faith at the
beginning of The Deep & Savage Way. King College One of UC Santa Zita's eight
colleges, and the one adjacent to Kane (their dining halls, in fact, are in the same
complex of buildings and share the same kitchen). Home of Banana Mike's cafe, where
Tim, Mick and sometimes
Michael spend a lot of nights studying together. Krupke College The furthest uphill of
UC Santa Zita's three west-side colleges. Krupke is perhaps most notable for its
extraordinary Dr. Seuss-like architecture and its students' almost religious devotion to the possibilities of
mind-expanding chemicals. Krupke is also the home of UCSZ's literature department, and where Joseph Harkes has his
office. KTNT Though not as legendary as KUMM, KTNT is a fine radio station in its own
right. Calling itself "Terra Nueva's Most Explosive Rock 'n' Roll", KTNT broadcasts from Doc Ricketts' Lab in downtown
Terra Nueva, and can be found at 107.1 on the FM dial. KUMM Legendary San Jose album rock station, located at 98.5
on your FM dial. Some of the DJs on the station during the era of the Santa
Zita Quintet include Stone Blaze and Dennis Young. Home to such radio
institutions as the "5 O'Clock Funnies", "Friday Morning Long Song" and "Get the Led Out". Lana (see Lana Scott) Pete Latengo
Manager of the Santa Zita Movies I & II while
Tim is employed there during the summer of 1989.
Pete is a career TransPacific Corporation employee, having worked
there since age sixteen and risen up the ladder from snackperson to manager.
Las Mujeres de las Nubes
In English, The Women of the Clouds. A classic of Latin American magical realist fiction,
the novel depicts a town of semi-mythical, ghostly women who spend their days observing and sometimes aiding
the men and children in the city they left behind, who struggle to survive under the yoke
of their nation's repressive, United States-supported dictatorship.
Helen spends much of her time during Helen of Santa Zita trying to
get through this novel.
Shek Lee Friend of Tim's from
Alta Lara who attended UC Santa Zita
for one year (1987-88) before transferring to San Francisco State. He lived at
Fremont College, on the same floor as George and
Kelly. Lethal Enforcer 2 Generally
recognized by the characters in my novels as one of the worst movies ever made,
Lethal Enforcer 2 is the second installment of the vastly lucrative
Lethal Enforcer franchise, which depicts the saga of two mis-matched
cops–one long-haired, out of control and perpetually in trouble with his
superiors, the other an African-American family man always just one week from
retirement. Despite the fact they argue all the time and seem to hate each other,
they are of course actually the best of friends. The second installment of the
series tells the tale of how they foil a group of renegade South African
diplomats who simultaneously deal in cocaine, illegal arms and child
pornography. Christian Long The main character of
Tim's novel Incense & Insensibility.
Christian is a creative writing major, surrealist poet and assistant manager at a local independant movie house. Mansfield Park Wealthy community just north of
Alta Lara and Standford University, which is home to many high tech and venture
capital firms. Tim's father moves there from
Alta Lara in between tdp (Timothy Dylan Page) and Back to the Hotel. Maria (see Maria Gaier) Marr Street Major thoroughfare on
Santa Zita's east side, meriting an exit on Route 1. The 24-hour pancake house
Golden West, a popular hangout for local youths, is located there. Melissa (see Melissa the Trippy Chick or
Melissa Solomon) Melissa the Trippy Chick Beautiful but trippy girl
Jake dates during his junior year. Mexicali Popular drinking game at UC Santa Zita. The exact rules of Mexicali have been lost
to history, but it involves dice, a cup, bluffing and, of course, beer,
preferably Old Milwaukee or Milwaukee's Best. Michael (see Michael Sullivan) Mick (see Mick Deal) Midtown Palace TransPacific
theater located on Santa Zita's east side. The Santa Zita theater with the largest
seating capacity; thus it gets the biggest movies. Paul Milano Another resident of Kane College Dorm I during the
1989-90 school year. He is friends, and at points more than friends, with both Amy Mulligan and Sara Kestler.
He lives on the third floor, along with Robin Bailor. Milwaukee's Best, Old
Milwaukee Although I wish I could claim credit for conceiving
either one of these fine lagers, Milwaukee's Best and Old Milwaukee are, indeed,
real, and the beers of choice at the Claimstake. Cans
of both feature prominently in the games of Mexicali
played at that house's round table. Miranda (see Miranda Farlong or
Miranda Price) Missy Skanky deadhead girl who is part of Todd Fox's
group of friends. She has, on occasion, slept with many of the Santa Zita Quintet's
male characters, including Todd, Jake, George,
Mick, Davey, Pete and
Stravinsky. But not Tim, of course, though
he had a brief fascination with her during his freshman year. Missy is friends with
Helen's nemesis Katie. Paul Molla Helen's manager at
Sunshine Records, with whom she has an affair during the summer of
1989. Amy Mulligan Resident of fifth floor
Dorm I at Kane College during the
1989-90 school year. Her roommate is Sara Kestler, and she is also friends with
Paul Milano and Robin Bailor. Neil (see Neil Alexander) Notes For a Future Novel The
ur-ancestor of the Tim novels, a project I began in March 1991 and didn't abandon
until the summer of 1993. Containing many of the same characters and situations
as the Santa Zita Quintet, Notes For a
Future Novel provided the basis for The Deep
& Savage Way and Helen of Santa
Zita, as well as Part I of tdp (Timothy Dylan Page).
A very early version of Notes
For a Future Novel has been posted for your enjoyment. Nothing At All Like Crazy For Love,
both a novel and a movie. Written by Brad Eastman Aaronson, Nothing At All chronicles the doings and not
doings of Robert, Brendy, Von and other wealthy high school graduates in mid-1980s Los Angeles, during the
summer between their graduation from high school and going away to college on the east coast.
Considered to be either a low or high point of 1980s literature depending on your point of view,
Joseph Harkes likes it well enough to teach it in his
Contemporary American Fiction class. Heidi Ovruchskaya Friend of Helen's
whom she met through Alice. Heidi grew up in Stockton and is an unrepentant rocker chick who is good friends
with the band Tesla. Ironically, she went out with ultimate alternative rock fan
Chris Corso during the summer and fall of 1989. The Orion An old-fashioned wooden rollercoaster, one of the main
attractions of Beachland Santa Zita. PC Politically Correct. Conforming to the
accepted mores and beliefs of UC Santa Zita.
Timothy Dylan Page The progeny of an academic yet entrepreneurial
family, Tim grew up in Alta Lara, California, where his best friend was
Shek. Purely by default, he ended up attending UC Santa Zita,
which ended up having a major impact on his life. Tim's best friends at UCSZ are
Helen and Jessica, and they are all part of a
group of friends that include Jake, Peter,
Roxy, Sophie, Mick,
George,
and many others. The novels The City On the Hill,
1989->A Novel and tdp (Timothy Dylan Page)
are told from his point of view, and he is an important character in
The Deep & Savage Way and
Helen of Santa Zita. Paul (see Paul Molla or Paul Milano) Peak Member of the section in Joseph Harkes's class that Helen
teaches during The Deep & Savage Way. He is the prototypical
SNAG. Pete (see Pete Picardo or Pete Latengo) Peter (see Peter Greunblum) Pete Picardo Davey's
best friend and fellow resident of Gorky Street, Pete is quiet, tall and
quite solid-useful qualities for someone who spends a lot of time around Davey and Mick. Pizza My Love Chain of pizza restaurants in the greater
Santa Zita area with three locations-downtown Santa Zita,
the west-side (delivery only) and Stolla.
Jessica works at the Stolla branch during the summer of
1989. Christa Pratt Jake's girlfriend from
Alta Lara High. By the time of the later volumes of the
Santa Zita Quintet, she and Jake have broken up, much to the
relief of Jake's friends. Jamie Price King College sophomore that
Peter goes out with during the 1989-90 school year. Miranda Price Besides Christian Long,
the other main character of Tim's novel Incense & Insensibility
and screenplay Santa Zita Daze. In the course of the novel, Miranda must choose
between Christian and the rakish Bret Lovelace. Some have noted the similarities between Miranda and
Helen. Pulgas Bedroom community located about ten
miles inland from the Terra Nueva Bay. Pulgas is the
home of the Pulgas Twin movie theater, where
Caleb grew up, and the location of the community college
attended by August. Pulgas Twin The most remote of the five movie theaters the
TransPacific Corporation owns in the
Santa Zita area, the Pulgas Twin is located just off Route 1 in
Pulgas. Rage, raging, rager To party to an extreme degree,
typified by the consumption of alcohol in large quantities, dancing to loud music,
getting baked and finding someone to scam with.
If there are enough attendees, the party may be deemed a mass rager, or even huge rager. Caleb Rector Assistant manager at the
Santa Zita Movies I & II during the
summer of 1989, Caleb is August's ex-boyfriend and part of the same group of
friends that includes April. In the course of the
summer, Caleb befriends Tim and becomes something
of a mentor to him. Redwood College The most isolated of
UC Santa Zita's seven residential colleges, Redwood is not known for much other
than having a lot of dances. It is, however, the location for Joseph Harkes's
class Contemporary American Fiction. Jake Reuben Jake tends to be the prime
mover of a lot of the social agenda in the Santa
Zita Quintet. Jake's principal pastimes include listening to music, drinking beer,
playing sweet hoops and getting baked with George<.A> and
Sophie. During his freshman year, he roomed with Mick
on the fifth floor of Kane College's Dorm I. Jake's
three best friends are Peter, George and Todd Forrest, who
represent three of the more important sides of his personality. Todd Ridley Tall good-looking guy who lives on fifth floor Dorm I
during the 1989-90 school year. He is friends with Amy and Sara. Riga Street Jake's
abode during his sophomore year, notable for being
the place where Sophie and Todd
Forrest first got together, and Tim and Lana didn't. Jake lived there with surfer dudes Mike and Phoenix. Robin (see Robin Bailor or
Robin Hurley) Romp, Romping Helen, Jessica and Roxy's favorite expression for carnally satisfying casual
sex. Route 27 State highway that links
Santa Zita with San Jose, passing through Welsh Valley
on the way. Narrow, windy and congested,
Route 27 is known as one of the most dangerous highways in America. Roxy (see Roxy Stoker) San Christobal River River
which runs from the Santa Zita mountains through downtown Santa Zita
into the Terra Nueva
Bay near Beachland Santa Zita. Quite scenic in its upper stretches,
by the time it arrives in downtown it is little more than a wide bush-clogged
ditch, at least during the time of the Santa Zita
Quintet, when California was in the middle of a seven-year drought. Santa Zita The fictional city of Santa
Zita occupies roughly the same geographic space in the world of the
Santa Zita Quintet as
Santa Cruz, California does in the real. As a city, Santa Zita has at least four identities:
seaside resort, university town (a campus of the
University of California is located in the hills overlooking town), suburb of San
Jose and refuge for ex-hippie New Agers. Santa Zita is located at the northern
tip of the Terra Nueva Bay at the mouth of the San Christobal river. Most streets in Santa Zita
are named after trees or Russian cities. Santa Zita is divided into three sections–east side,
downtown and west side. Santa Zita Daze Screenplay that
Tim writes during his last year at UC Santa Zita,
based on his unfinished novel Incense & Insensibility.
Later made (in a much altered form) into a movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Santa Zita High School Remarkably
enough, one of Santa Zita's two high schools, attended
by some of the characters in 1989->A Novel,
including April, her friends Mandy, Star and
Shauna, as well as Todd Hirsch and Darren. Santa Zita High is located only a few blocks from Holly Street. Santa Zita Movies I &
II Movie theatre in downtown Santa Zita
where Tim works during the summer of 1989, along with August, April and Caleb. Owned and
operated by the hapless TransPacific Corporation, and
managed by Pete Latengo. Santa Zita Quintet Name
for my series of five novels that are set in Santa Zita: The City On the Hill, 1989->A Novel, The Deep & Savage Way, Helen of Santa Zita and tdp (Timothy Dylan Page). Covering the period from
1987 to 1992, they chronicle the adventures of Timothy Page and the group of friends that he falls
in with at UC Santa Zita. The Santa Zita Quintet grew out of the
abandoned project Notes For a Future Novel. Sara (see Sara Kestler) Sarah (see Sarah Wolfe) Scam, Scammer Though its meaning has come in
recent years to mean a wide range of activities ranging from french kissing, to
oral sex, to full-blown intercourse; during the time of the Santa Zita Quintet scamming means to get
together (kissing and some heavy petting) but not to actually have sex. By
extension, a scammer is someone who spends a lot of time trying to get members of
the opposite (or same) sex in that state, though it can also mean someone who is
perpetually trying the better end of every situation. And when you think about
it, maybe both are pretty much the same thing. Shek (see Shek Lee) Schmack, Schmacklee Term of disapprobation
used by the women of the Santa Zita Quintet
to describe men they do not approve of. Lana Scott Along with Sophie, Lana grew up in Galena,
California. They were friends in high school, though not close, but both ended up
attending UC Santa Zita and through the mysterious
workings of the Kane College housing office, became
roommates freshman year on fifth floor, Dorm I. During their
sophomore year, Tim had a huge crush on Lana that
was never consummated. Shameless Long-hair tortoise-shell cat
owned by Helen's downstairs neighbors on Holly Street. Shameless serves as a symbol of pure id
unrestrained by conscience, ethics or morality in the novel Helen of Santa Zita. He's also quite fat. Shine To opt out of an obligation or
opportunity. See also, flake. Sketchy, sketcher To be experiencing a feeling of threat to
one's well-being or safety; a situation that is questionable and potentially dangerous. Brent Skranslatt Friend and housemate of Todd
Fox during their sophomore and junior years. George Smith Yet another graduate of
Alta Lara High who ended up at UC
Santa Zita. Like Peter, he lived at Fremont College, where he and his roommate played Houses of the Holy incessantly, driving Tim's friend Shek crazy. During their freshman year, he
and Sophie are a couple, though by the time of 1989->A Novel Sophie has broken up with him in
favor of Todd Forrest. At Alta Lara High, George was
mainly friends with Jake. A prominent bakester, George is also a dedicated bicyclist and always up for
some skate rounds. SNAG Sensitive New Age
Guy. Expression used by UC Santa Zita females to
describe guys who pretend to be sensitive, feminist and in touch with their
feelings just to get them in bed. The ultimate examplar is Peak. Melissa Solomon Enigmatic presence from
Tim's childhood. Sophie (see Sofia Aligheri) Roxy Stoker Like Jessica, Roxy grew up in Las Palmas, a seaside residential community near
Los Angeles. She was a resident
of fifth floor Dorm I at Kane
College, though not the same section as Helen,
Jessica and everybody else. Instead, she lived on
the all-female middle section, along with Tina,
Bernadette and Robin. Stolla Town to the south of Santa Zita on
the edge of the Terra Nueva Bay. Stolla is popular with tourists due to its
picturesque wharf area home to a branch of Pizza My Love, and is
also the
home of the TransPacific movie theater
Stolla Mall Six. Stolla Mall Six One of the
TransPacific Corporation's empire of movie theaters in the
Santa Zita area. In what could be considered a possible
failure of imagination on the part of the author, it is located in the Stolla Mall. David Stone Another character who is
off-stage for most of the Santa Zita
Quintet; known mainly for being Helen's
boyfriend before Todd Fox and an intermittent visitor to
Santa Zita. David truly comes into his own once the
action of the Tim novels moves to San Francisco, and is featured in such works as Back to
the Hotel, Three Weddings & A Whole Lot of Beer, Furthermore, Dotcom and
How Timothy Got His Groove Back. Stone Blaze (see Stone Blaze) Stravinsky Resident of Dorm I during the 1987-88 school year,
by the time of Helen of Santa Zita, Stravinsky has moved to far
away Dead Oak, and is only rarely seen by the principal characters of the
Santa Zita Quintet. He is mainly friends with
Roxy, Tina and Bernadette. Michael Sullivan Freshman at UC
Santa Zita during the 1989-90 school year. During winter quarter 1990, he falls
in love with his literature TA, Helen Zachary and is
guided through Santa Zita by his new acquintance, Timothy Page, a quest which forms the basis of the
novel The Deep & Savage Way. Michael lives in
Kane College's Dorm I,
on the same floor as Tim, Amy and
Sara. Sunshine Records Record store on the Western Avenue Mall in
downtown Santa Zita. Helen works there during the summer of
1989. Alice Tam Helen and
Sarah's best friend at Alta Lara High.
Alice ended up attending UC Riverside in southern California, and later transferred to UC Berkeley. During
high school, she went out with George. tdp (Timothy Dylan Page) Yet another novel told
from the point of view of Timothy Dylan Page, this novel
covers Tim's life post-1989, beginning in February 1990 and extending
all the way to the summer of 1992. It constitutes the fifth and final volume of the
Santa Zita Quintet. Terra Nueva City located at the
southern tip of Terra Nueva Bay. Home to a
world-renowned aquarium and famous as the site of many of author John Steinbeck's
works, including Cannery Row, although he called it Monterey in an attempt
to forestall any legal actions against him. Terra Nueva Bay Large semi-circular
bay on the central California coast. Several towns and cities are located on its
shoreline, including Santa Zita, Dead Oak,
Stolla, and Terra Nueva. Theresa Helen,
Jessica and Tim's section leader
in Contemporary American Fiction when they took it winter quarter
of the 1988-89 school year. It was later revealed that Theresa had an affair with that class's professor,
Joseph Harkes. Those Shoes Store in downtown Alta Lara
that sells, not surprisingly, shoes-mainly women's dress and casual. Helen works there during
the summer of 1988 with her friend from Alta Lara High,
Jody. Tim (see Timothy Dylan Page) Tina (see Tina Gladwynn) Todd (see Todd Bomble, Todd Forrest,
Todd Fox, Todd Hirsch or Todd Ridley) Torrance Roxy's occasional boyfriend during
the time of the Santa Zita Quintet. TransPacific Corporation Company that owns movie theaters in the
area of Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. They have long since been acquired by a larger company as
part of the ongoing consolidation in the movie theater business. In the Santa Zita area, they own
the Santa Zita Movies I & II, Del Rio,
Midtown Palace, Stolla Mall Six
and the Pulgas Twin. UC Santa Zita The University of
California, Santa Zita. A state university built on a beautiful piece of land in
the hills overlooking the city of Santa Zita, with a
view of the entire Terra Nueva Bay area. At the time
of the Santa Zita Quintet, UC Santa Zita
consists of eight colleges, including Kane, Fremont, Humphrey, King,
Handler, Krupke, Redwood
and the campus-less College H. Wake and bake How the centered UC Santa Zita student greets the day. Wake is
self-explanatory, bake is explained elsewhere. Kelly Weiran Girl who lived on Shek
and George's hall at Fremont College
during their freshman year. Peter dated her for a while, and she later became
friends with Helen and Jessica. Welsh Valley Town located on Route 27
about ten minutes from Santa Zita. Location of a six-screen movie theater not affiliated
with the TransPacific Corporation, and home to several software companies,
including Boreland, where August works during the fall of
1989. Western Bell RBOC with the responsibility for the area
Santa Zita is in. Roughly equivalent to the Pacific Bell of our own world. Willoughby Disreputable friend of Todd Fox's
whose principal pastimes include beer drinking, surfing and flouting California's age of consent laws. It's
actually unknown as to whether Willoughby is his first or last name. Winterton Community adjacent to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where
David Stone lives while he is a student at Tufts University. Wishing Well Downtown Santa Zita business that rents private rooms with hot tubs
by the hour. Andrea is night manager there on weekends.
Wishing Well is known to UC Santa Zita students by the
sobriquet of the "Soak 'n' Poke". Sarah Wolfe During the Santa Zita Quintet, Sarah is mostly
off-stage, attending Holy Cross university in Rhode Island. She becomes an
important character later on, especially in the novels Back to the Hotel
and Three Weddings & A Whole Lot of Beer (her wedding is the second of the three that
give the novel its title). John Wray Friend and housemate of Todd Fox during their sophomore and junior
years. Yaçoan Area of the Santa Zita mountains near
Pulgas, the site of several natural springs and the epicenter of the quake on
October 17, 1989 that devastated downtown Santa Zita and
Bakersville. Yak, yakking To vomit profusely. Yalta St. Where Sophie,
Lana and Bernadette live during their junior year.
Helen Juliet Zachary Golden-haired
Helen is the object and instigator of much of the action in the Santa Zita Quintet. She is Tim's beloved in
The City On the Hill, his friend and confidante in 1989->A Novel, the object of Michael's
fascination in The Deep & Savage Way
and finally, to bring the balance back, the main character in her own right in Helen of Santa Zita and possibly even
Helen of New York City or Helen of the Greater Seattle Area. Helen
had a peripatetic childhood, accompanying her mother to such places as Reykjavik,
Minnesota, Guam, Montana, and finally Alta Lara during
her high school years, where she became friends with Jake, Peter and Sarah. During her senior year of high school and freshman
year at UC Santa Zita she went out with David Stone, a friend of Jake, Peter and Todd Forrest's from Alta Lara
High. She broke up with him during the summer of 1988. Soon after, she
started going out with Todd Fox, a resident of Kane College's Dorm II she had met the previous spring at
UCSZ. Zambiggini's Supermarket located in
downtown Santa Zita, in a mall adjacent to the Santa Zita Movies I & II.
Good place to get sandwiches, as well as take care of all of your grocery needs.