I read everything I could get my hands on when I was a kid.  Most of my favorite 
little kids books have been mentioned, except one -- Call of the Wild.  But, my most 
secret book was Valley of the Dolls.  Banned in our quasi Ozzie and Harrietish 
household, at about age 9 or ten, I struck gold when I saw our neighbor's, the 
divorced Mrs. Teal with painted toenails, copy in the alley trash can.  I sneaked it 
inside to my room and read it every night. I never got caught.  It was so sexy - at 
least what I understood, which wasn't a lot.  There was one word I read and read and 
didn't understand: sonofabitch.  Took me a while to figure out what it meant.  I still 
have that paperback in my blue trunk-o-memories.

No regrets,

Coyote Rick
Casa Alegre
Hollywood, California 

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