Love Saves the Day

Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain

Resistance: A Radical Social and Political History of the Lower East Side, Clayton Patterson and Jeff Ferrell

Tompkins Square Park, Q. Sakamaki

New York Rocker, Gary Valentine

Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places, Sharon Zukin

As well as the newspaper article:

Andrew Jacobs, “The Angry Urban Refugees,” The New York Times, May 10, 1998

This book would also have been impossible without the following people who allowed me to interview them about motherhood, music, record stores, lily toxicity in cats, life in a law firm, Mitchell-Lama housing, and everyday life in and around the Lower East Side in the ’70s and ’80s: Dr. Tracy DeMeola, Richard Finkelstein, Jim Kiick, John Kioussis, Andrea Kline, Manny Maris, Lorcan Otway, Clayton Patterson, Binky Philips, Dee Pop, Tony Sachs, Jay Wilson, and several female attorneys who wish to remain anonymous.

And, last but not least, my deepest gratitude goes to:

Michele Rubin, superagent and “author whisperer.” My editors Caitlin Alexander—the first person to fall in love with Prudence—and Kate Miciak, who offered far more patience than I deserved as I raced to cross the finish line, and whose insights and feedback made this book better than it has any right to be.

Anise “Anise’s to Pieces” Labrum, for ten years of true friendship and crazy stories better than any I could have made up, for flying from Napa to New York a week before my wedding—with a broken arm!—to sew my wedding dress, and for allowing me such free use of her name, talents, and persona.

Peri Stedman, the woman at whose thirtieth birthday party I was introduced to one Laurence Lerman. I told you I’d work your name into the next book I wrote!

David and Claire Berkowitz, my grandparents and the inspiration for the Mandelbaums. I was lucky enough to have my grandmother living with us for twelve years of my childhood, telling me stories she probably doubted I’d remember. God was very good to me when he gave me two mothers.

David and Barbara Cooper, my parents and the greatest cheering section any daughter who wanted to be a writer could have asked for.

Laurence Lerman, the world’s best husband and my first editor, who read (and then re-read, and then re-re-read) every word of this book as I wrote it, whose brilliant suggestions occasionally made me wonder if I should turn the writing over to him, and who put up with me during the many, many months when I was utterly unbearable. Also Ben and Saundra Lerman. Nobody ever had better parents-in-law.

Melanie Paradise, a great friend, greater cat guardian, and this book’s first reader aside from my husband and editors.

Rhoda Palmateer, in loving memory. Rhoda’s love saved the day for many hundreds of cats and kittens who otherwise would have languished on the streets or died in shelters. Your extraordinary heart will always be missed.

Everybody who read Homer’s Odyssey, took the time to email me, followed Homer and me on Facebook and Twitter, and whose daily encouragement kept me going when I was positive I wouldn’t be able to finish this book.

And, finally, Clayton and Fanny Cooper-Lerman—the most adorable kittens ever (aside from Homer, Vashti, and Scarlett, of course)—for the frequent and necessary laughter breaks during the last few weeks of writing.

BY GWEN COOPER

Love Saves the Day

Homer’s Odyssey

Diary of a South Beach Party Girl

About the Author

GWEN COOPER is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat and the novel Diary of a South Beach Party Girl. She is active with numerous animal welfare organizations. Gwen Cooper lives in Manhattan with her husband, Laurence. She also lives with her three perfect cats—Homer, Clayton, and Fanny—who aren’t impressed with any of it.

www.gwencooper.com