As with any fictional world, it can be hard at times to keep all of the characters, settings and events straight in the Santa Zita Trilogy. For those of you who did not have the benefit of growing up in Alta Lara, or attending school at UC Santa Zita, some of the entries define the slang used in the books. Please be aware that by its very nature a document of this kind will contain spoilers, so if you’d rather be surprised, you should probably read the books first.
«A»
Abalone Mike’s A coffee shop in King College which is a popular place to study and hang out. The name, of course, is a reference to the UC Santa Zita team nickname, the Fightin’ Abalone. SZ
Abyss A Southern California speed-metal band who gained some popularity with their albumsNo Sanity For the Damned and Paradise Blackened. Tim first became aware of them when they opened up for Metallica at the August 1989 show he attended with April at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. Salem is a fan of Abyss, as is Ellery’s friend Jenny. SZ, Th
Alice Tam Helen and Sarah Wolfe’s best friend at Alta Lara High. During high school, she went out with George. Alice, Tim, Shek and Jody worked together at the Alta Lara Cinemas during the summer of 1988. The following summer, Alice lived with Helen and Jessica at Holly Street, and renewed her acquaintance with George. She didn’t return to UC Riverside that fall, but instead transferred to UC Berkeley, first spending a quarter abroad at Rummidge University in England.SZ
Alta Lara A city in the mid-peninsula region of the San Francisco Bay Area, located about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. Tim, Jake, Sarah, George, Todd Forrest and Peter grew up there, and Helen and Alice lived there during their high school years. SZ
Alta Lara High School One of two high schools in Alta Lara, attended by Jake, Helen, Peter, Sarah Wolfe, Alice, Dave Stone, Jody, and George. Alta Lara High has had a number of notable alumni, including Joan Baez, as well as Bill Kreutzmann and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead, though the latter never actually graduated. SZ
Amy Mulligan A 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, Robin Bailor, and Tim Page. She grew up in Davis, CA. DSW, M
Andrea Hall April's mother and ex-wife of Joseph Harkes. A 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. Andrea is active in a recovery support group and is going out with a fellow recovering addict she met there, Hank Harrison. 1989
Andy Michael’s room-mate during the 1989-90 school year. Andy is friends with Amy, Sara and Todd Ridley. His main interests include basketball, partying and not much else.
April Hall As the only child of a single mother, April grew up fast on the mean streets of Santa Zita. Rebellious, creative, and with little interest in school, April has a stormy relationship with her mother, Andrea. 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 is August, and some of her other friends include Mandy, Star, Alison, Amber, and Shanna. As precocious and independent in relationships as she is in everything else, April went out with Joey, lead singer of The Schoolboys, when she was just fourteen and he was eighteen. From 1988 to early 1990 she works at the Movies I & II, where she became friends with and briefly dated Tim. After graduating from Santa Zita High School in 1991, April attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Upon graduation she became a designer for one of San Francisco’s first web design firms. 1989
ATAC A computer system that the TransPacific Corporation uses to reconcile the accounts from all of their theaters every night. One of the most important assistant manager duties is to upload data to the ATAC at the end of their shift, if they are doing the closing instead of the manager. ATAC stands for Automated Ticketing and Accounts Control. 1989
August West 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 classes at Pulgas Community College In addition to the Movies I & II, also works at Boreland Software in Welsh Valley. 1989
«B»
Baked, bakester To be stoned; i.e., to have smoked marijuana to a mind-altering degree. By extension, getting baked is to be actively placing oneself in that state, and a bakester is one who gains pleasure from said activity. Beware, though, because too much getting baked can result in becoming burnt. SZ
Bakersville A city of about 25,000 residents, located ten miles inland from the Terra Nueva Bay. Bakersville is a primarily agricultural area, heavily populated by Hispanics, and also suffered greatly from the Yaçoan quake. Jessica interned in Bakersville during the summer of 1989, counseling at-risk youth. SZ
Barret Browne An English author of the first half of the 20th century. Perhaps best known for his novel The Romanian Contingent, which was adapted into a film directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Bob Ryan. Th, M
Bayview A city on the San Francisco Bay located just south of Alta Lara. The Shoreline Amphitheatre is located there, built on landfill in the baylands on the eastern edge of the city. Tim and April attend a Metallica concert there in September 1989. 1989
Beachland A sketchy area of Santa Zita located near the amusement park of the same name. An area of cheap motels and dilapidated apartment buildings, Beachland is a haven for prostitution and drug dealing. SZ
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 Cristobal river. Home of the Orion, one of the few all-wooden roller-coasters left on the west coast. Beachland Santa Zita has given its name to the somewhat sketchy neighborhood nearby. SZ
Bernadette A Deadhead/granola chick who hangs out in Roxy and Tina's group, as well as with Davey, Pete and Robin. She lives with Sophie during the 1989-90 school year. SZ
Blythe Canyon An unincorporated community in the hills above Santa Zita, inhabited mostly by UC Santa Zita students, hippies, 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. SZ
Brad Delp A Humphrey College senior that Helen dates during winter quarter of 1990 while on the rebound from breaking up with Todd Fox. M
Brad Eastman Aaronson A leading member of the literary “brat pack” of the mid/late-8os, he is best known for his novels Nothing At All and its sort-of sequel The Rule of Not. He is one of the featured authors in Joseph Harkes’s class Contemporary American Fiction. SZ
Brent Skranslatt A friend of Todd Fox. They are housemates during the 87-88 and 88-89 school years. M
Bret Lovelace The villain of Incense and Insensibility, he is a dickish surfer dude whom Miranda Price finds irresistibly attractive, much to Christian Long’s displeasure. In the movieSanta Zita Daze Bret’s character is changed to be a more likable stoner-surfer-slacker, and is played by Matt Dillon. M
Bristle Helen's cat during her last two years in Santa Zita, which she received as a gift from Todd Fox just two weeks before they broke up. 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 the downstairs neighbor’s cat, Shameless, though their relationship is highly dysfunctional. DSW, M
Mr. Bromfeld Herbert and Terrence's boss and the manager of the firm where they work. Th
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.” SZ
«C»
Cafe Nightingale A cafe in downtown Santa Zita, housed in a three-story Victorian mansion with wrap-around deck. A favored hang out spot for both Santa Zita residents and UC Santa Zita students. SZ
Caleb Rector An 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, Damien, Shanna, and others. In the course of the summer, Tim and Caleb become friends. Caleb is the leader of The Posse, at least until he leaves on a cross-country trip in the fall of 1989. 1989
Chris Corso A resident of Kane College's Dorm I during the 1987-88 school year; music-lover and renowned for writing his 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, Meat Beat Manifesto, and Nirvana, whom he once memorably described as sounding like a combination of R. E. M. and Black Sabbath. SZ
Christa Pratt Jake's girlfriend from Alta Lara High. Their relationship continues on an erratic basis until 1990, when it ends for good. M
Christian Long The main character of Tim's novel Incense and Insensibility. Christian is a creative writing major, surrealist poet and assistant manager at a local independent movie house. He maintains a hopeless love for his best friend, Miranda Price. Christian is a member of a group of performance artists who occasionally stage art stunts in Santa Cruz. M
The Claimstake A house where Jake, Sophie, Roxy, Peter and Mick live during the 1989-90 school year. 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 Odessa Street on the west side of Santa Zita. DSW, M
College H UC Santa Zita's eighth and unnamed college. For much of UCSZ’s history College H doesn't even have a proper home, being located instead in Straegh Hall. Not until 1991 does it have an actual campus, built on a hill between Redwood and Handler colleges after years of controversy and legal wrangling. SZ
Constructive Video Therapy The name Richard Lundquist has given his therapy program in which couples recreate their marriage on video. Herbert and Lois take part in the therapy during the summer of 1989. Th
Contemporary American Fiction A class that Joseph Harkes teaches at UC Santa Zita nearly every year during the winter quarter. The class’s syllabus includes Raymond Carver’s Where I'm Calling From, Jacob Trainor’s Crazy For Love, Toni Morrison’s Sula, Brad Eastman Aaronson’sNothing At All, Robert Fox’s The Pyre of the Prides, Maxine Hong Kingston’s China Men,Nicholson Baker’s The Mezzanine and Tama Janovitz’s Slaves of New York. Tim, Helen, Jessica and Todd Fox take this class during winter quarter of 1989, and Helen is a teaching assistant for it the following year, when Michael Sullivan, Peak and Maria are in her section. SZ
«D»
Damien A tall, muscular skinhead who also happens to be gay. He speaks exclusively in non sequiters and carries around a lunchbox with various random items inside, which he periodically shows people. He is part of August, April and Caleb’s group of friends. 1989
Davey Jackson A resident of Dorm I during fall quarter 1987, Davey soon realized that he found attending Dead shows and dealing weed much more rewarding than school work, and dropped out after only one quarter. He later lives with Pete and Mick at the Gorky Street house. Davey and Robin are intermittently lovers. Tim buys weed from Davey during the summer of 1989, and ends up holding for him. SZ
David “Dave” Stone Helen’s boyfriend during her senior year of high school and freshman year at UC Santa Zita. They broke up during the summer of 1988, but remained close friends. Dave lives in Winterton, MA and attends Boston University. He is a member of the Alta Lara High School group of friends, having been friends with Jake, Peter and Todd Forrest since middle school. SZ
Del Rio One of three TransPacific movie theaters in the city of Santa Zita, the Del Rio is located on the Eden Avenue Mall. The Del Rio was damaged during the Yaçoan quake and closed for several months-which caused several employees, including Robin Bailor and Vince, to move to the Santa Zita Movies I & II. SZ
Dimaleum One of several movie theaters in downtown Santa Zita, but not one of the ones owned by the TransPacific Corporation. The Dimaleum mostly shows art films and movies that move there from larger theaters, such as Crazy For Love. SZ
Dog and Butterfly A women’s clothing store on Eden Avenue, which specializes in styles that might be called “modern hippie” or “Natalie Merchant-esque.” SZ
Dog Collision An early grunge band from Seattle, best known for their Gearhammer EP. DSW, M
Dogged To be rejected or criticized. A word Tim often uses to describe his life. SZ
Dorm I One of Kane College's two dormitories that overlooks that college's moat and houses mostly freshmen. During the 1987-88 school year Tim lived on the first floor, but eventually became friends with the residents of the fifth floor section. Two years later, Tim himself lived on that section, living in a single and becoming friends with Amy Mulligan and Sara Kestler. During Tim's freshman year, there was an election in which it was decided that it should be named Malcolm X Dorm, but for some reason the results of that caucus were never implemented. SZ
Dorm II The other Kane College dormitory that overlooks the moat. Dorm II is where Todd Fox and his group of friends lived during the 1987-88 school year. SZ
«E»
Eden Avenue Downtown Santa Zita's principle commercial thoroughfare. In the early 80s the street was narrowed and made one-way in order to encourage pedestrian traffic. The Eden Avenue Mall was heavily damaged in the 1989 Yaçoan earthquake, losing nearly half of its buildings, including the Miller House, which some considered the heart of downtown. Some of the businesses on Eden Avenue include Sunshine Records, Bookshop Santa Zita, The Santa Zita Coffee Roasting Company, Hermes Records and Books, Dog and Butterfly, the Reactor, Those Shoes, and Eztel’s Department Store. SZ
Edgar Rice The mayor of Frenchman's Valley. It is mostly an easy job, except during August 1989 when a major controversy erupts over a student film shown on the town's community access television station. Th
Ellery Hewson A resident of the Holly Street house during the 1989-90 school year. DSW, M
Epic Perhaps the highest term of opprobrium that can be applied in Santa Zita, particularly in reference to a rager. SZ
Eztel’s Mercantile and Dry Goods An old-fashioned department store on the Eden Avenue Mall which sold mostly home furnishings and clothing. The building housing Eztel’s collapsed during the Yaçoan quake. Since the store had been losing money for years, the Eztel’s chain chose not to return to Santa Zita. 1989
«F»
Fightin’ Abalone UC Santa Zita’s team nickname. For the first fifteen years of its history, UCSZ had no official team nickname since it did not compete in the NCAA. The teams from UCSZ that competed informally went by various nicknames, and perhaps the best known was their ultimate frisbee team, who called themselves the Fightin’ Abalone. When UCSZ joined official NCAA competition in 1981, the university administration decreed that the team would go by the name Sea Otters. The student body, feeling this nickname wasn’t ironic enough, started an underground movement to name the team the Fightin’ Abalone. After several years of resistance, in 1986 the administration finally gave in, especially when they realized the what a marketing goldmine the name could be. Sure enough, Fightin’ Abalone gear became a big seller, and when John Travolta wore a UC Santa Zita sweatshirt during a memorable sequence in the film Pulp Fiction, the trend went national.
Flake To opt out of an obligation or opportunity. See also, shine. SZ
Frank Best friend and housemate to Gretchen's boyfriend Bill. Frank is quite large and has a (very much unrequited) crush on Helen. DSW
Frank Murray Herbert and Terrence's co-worker. A hearty, back-slapping, practical jokes kind of guy, he is not liked by either Herbert or Terrence, especially after it is because of Frank that so many people in Frenchman’s Valley learn about Andrew’s film being shown on the town’s community access channel.
Fremont College UC Santa Zita's first college, it 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. Fremont College’s focus is on literature and the humanities, and many of Tim, Helen, and Gretchen’s literature classes are located there. SZ
Frenchman’s Valley A city of about 20,000 residents, located between the Bay Area and Sacramento. Frenchman’s Valley is home to a small but vibrant downtown, community college, John Sutter High School, and an easily excitable and highly suggestible populace. The home of the Madsen family, as well as Shandy Meggers, Philip Yau, and Terrence Rafferty. During the late 80s, the town’s mayor is Edgar Rice. Th, 1989, M
«G»
Galena A town in the Napa Valley, located about half-way between Napa and Calistoga. Galena is where Sophie, Lana and Jake's brief acquaintance Miranda grew up. Several times Sophie has invited her friends from UC Santa Zita to come visit her family’s winery, which always results in epic raging. SZ
George Joseph Herbert and Lois's neighbor. During the summer of 1989, his wife, Louanne, leaves him. He attempts to win her back by sending videotaped epistles, but ultimately fails. Th
George Smith 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. 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. SZ
Gregory Forge Andrew and Philip's film teacher at Frenchman's Valley Community College. Th
«H»
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. Ellery, Gretchen, Bottomfeeder, and Caleb Rector have all been affiliated with Handler at one time or another. For the first twelve years of its history, Handler was known as College E. SZ
Hank Harrison A Deadhead and recovering alcoholic who belongs to the same support group that Andrea does, and is also a member of the Wharf Rats. He and Andrea are a couple, much to the displeasure of April. 1989
Heisman To be awarded the Heisman Trophy is the supreme accolade for a college football player, but for a guy to receive the Heisman from a girl he is trying to scam on is far less desirable, since that means he has been resoundingly dogged. An expression used by some of the male students of UC Santa Zita, including Jake, Peter, George, and Mick. SZ
Heidi Ovruchskaya A friend of Helen and 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 alternative rocker Chris Corso during the summer and fall of 1989. 1989
Helen Juliet Zachary Helen had a peripatetic childhood, accompanying her mother to such places as Reykjavik, Guam, Montana, and finally Alta Lara during her high school years. Feeling like an outsider to the mostly upper-middle-class Alta Lara High School, she bonded with fellow newcomer Alice Tam. Through her, Helen became friends with Jake, Peter, Sarah Wolfe and Todd Forrest. Though she briefly dated Peter, they settled on being friends. Helen’s heart was soon captured by Jake and Peter’s friend Dave Stone, and they began a relationship that continued all the way to summer 1988. During high school she also became friends with Gretchen Grant from attending the same geology class. In 1987 she started attending UC Santa Zita, living on the same section as her high school friend Jake, and becoming best friends with her room-mate Jessica. Later that year she befriended Tim, a guy living on the first floor of Dorm I that she met through Kelly Weiran. Starting in the fall of 1988, Helen lived on Holly Street in downtown Santa Zita, and began a relationship with Todd Fox, whom she had met the previous spring. Helen has had almost too many jobs to count, but some of the more notable ones include working at Those Shoes, Sunshine Records, and as a TA for Joseph Harkes’s class Contemporary American Fiction. While she was a TA she became aware that one of the students in her class, Michael Sullivan, had a crush on her, and after learning that he was a friend of Tim’s, she became friends with him as well, which helped to pull her out of the funk she had been in after breaking up with Todd Fox. After graduating from UC Santa Zita in 1992, Helen moved to New York City with her boyfriend Luke.SZ
Hermes Books and Records One of several used record stores on the Eden Avenue Mall in downtown Santa Zita. The building that Hermes was located in was damaged in the Yaçoan quake and the store was housed in a tent for the next few years. SZ
Holly Street A residential side-street in downtown Santa Zita, where Helen rented the top story of a duplex in fall 1988. Helen ends living there for the rest of her time in Santa Zita. 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. SZ
Holy Ghost University A private university in Rhode Island, attended by Sarah Wolfe. SZ
Humphrey College One of UC Santa Zita's original four colleges, and the one neighboring Fremont. 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. Helen's dates a Humphrey College student, Brad Delp, during winter quarter of 1990. SZ
«I»
Incense and Insensibility Tim's tales of life in the fictional coastal California city of Santa Cruz. Somewhere between a novel and a short story cycle, Incense and Insensibility follows a variety of characters–students, drop-outs, slackers, artists, stoners and surfers–as their lives, loves and paths cross over the course of the summer of 1990. Some of the characters seem to be based on people from Tim’s own life, which causes consternation in his group of friends. Tim never actually finishes Incense and Insensibility, but does manage to write a screenplay version of it, which he sells in 1991, helped by the wave of media interest in slackers/Generation X . That screenplay was eventually turned into the movie Santa Zita Daze. M
«J»
Jake Reuben Jake is a member of Tim’s group of friends, and often sets the social agenda for the gang, as his taste in food, libations, music and recreational activities is well-respected. He grew up in Alta Lara and was friends with Helen, Alice, Sarah Wolfe, Peter, Todd Forrest, Dave Stone and many others there. In college, his principal pastimes include listening to music, drinking beer, playing sweet hoops and getting baked with George and Sophie. During his freshman year, he roomed with Mick on the fifth floor of Kane College's Dorm I. He later lived with Mike and Phoenix on Riga Street, then during the 89-90 school year he was one of the co-founders of the Claimstake. SZ
Jamie Price A King College sophomore that Peter goes out with during the 1989-90 school year.M
Jenny A friend of Ellery’s who works at the Fremont College coffee shop. She is a fan of the band Abyss and skilled at the making of chocolate chip cookies. DSW, M
Jessica Gross Helen’s best friend and a member of Tim’s group of friends. She and Helen met when they were roommates freshman year on fifth floor Dorm I. Jessica grew up in Santa Monica, though most of her extended family lives in New York City. From 1988 to end of summer 1989, Jessica was housemates with Helen on Holly Street. SZ
Jody A friend of Alice and Helen’s from Alta Lara High. Jake went out with her briefly during his junior year of high school, right before he started dating Christa. Jody and Helen worked together at Those Shoes during the summer of 1988. She becomes friends with Tim and Shek during the summer of 1988 when they work together at the Alta Lara Cinemas. SZ
Joey A drop-out from Santa Zita High and part of Caleb and August’s group of friends, Joey is lead singer of the Schoolboys. He went out with April when he was eighteen and she was just fourteen, much to the displeasure of April’s mother Andrea. 1989
John Sutter High School A high school in Frenchman’s Valley, CA, attended by Andrew Madsen, Philip Yau, Shandy Meggers, Salem, and Rolly.
John Wray A friend and housemate of Todd Fox during their sophomore and junior years.
Joseph Harkes Professor of Literature at UC Santa Zita, who specializes in 20th century 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, especially his unfortunate tendency to sleep with his teaching assistants. Among the classes he teaches at UCSZ are Contemporary American Fiction and Introduction to Aesthetics. He married Andrea when he was a professor at Eureka State University, and she was a student, after he got her pregnant. They divorced in 1972, and a year later Joseph moved to UC Santa Zita literature department, due to the success of his book Debauched by Discourse, an influential work of reader response criticism which makes an analogy between the relationship of the author and reader with that of a young girl and a seducer, citing examples from such works as Clarissa, Lolita, Alice In Wonderland, Les Liasons Dangereux, and the works of the Marquis de Sade. SZ
«K»
Kane College Kane College is one of UC Santa Zita's eight colleges, and the one attended by 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 I through IV. As a college, Kane’s focus is on multiculturalism and media studies. SZ
Katie A friend of Missy's and member of Todd Fox's group of friends. Helen suspects Todd of getting together with Katie after their break-up. M
Katy A tall, beautiful blonde girl who worked with Tim, Shek and Alice at the Alta Lara Cinemas during the summer of 1988. Tim had a crush on her for a while. Her best friend is Emily. 1989
Kelly Weiran A 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. She is an aspiring film-maker and Tim and Shek helped her for a while during their freshman year. SZ
King College The UC Santa Zita college adjacent to Kane–their dining halls are, in fact, in the same complex of buildings and share the same kitchen. Home of Abalone Mike's cafe, where Tim and Mick spend many nights studying together, occasionally joined by Michael. SZ
Krupke College The furthest uphill of UC Santa Zita's three west-side colleges. Krupke is most notable for its mind-bending non-Euclidean architecture and its students' 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. SZ
KTNT 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. Helen prefers KTNT to KUMM, much to Tim's annoyance. SZ
KUMM A San Jose album rock station, located at 98.5 on the FM dial. Stone Blaze and Dennis Young are two of the more prominent DJs on the station. Some of KUMM’s special features include the "5 O'Clock Funnies", "Friday Morning Long Song" and "Get the Led Out". SZ
«L»
Lana Scott Along with Sophie, Lana grew up in Galena. They were friends in high school, though not close, but both ended up attending UC Santa Zita and became roommates freshman year on fifth floor, Dorm I. During their sophomore year, Tim dated Lana for a while, but the relationship was never consummated. SZ
Las Mujeres de las Nubes In English, The Women of the Clouds. A classic of Latin American magical realist fiction, this 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, struggling to survive under the yoke of their nation's repressive, United States-supported dictatorship. Written by Solamente Alborán, who emigrated to the US from El Salvador when she was twelve. Joseph Harkes teaches the book’s English translation in his Contemporary American Fiction class that Helen TAs for during winter quarter of 1990. Th, DSW, M
Lisa Gregory Forge’s girlfriend and a resident of Frenchman’s Valley. Th
Lois Madsen Herbert's wife and mother of Andrew. Lois works as a free-lance writer and as a result is supportive of her only child's artistic ambitions. It is at her instigation that she and Herbert begin Richard Lundquist’s Constructive Video Therapy during the summer of 1989. Th
Long Valley A large valley which extends south from the city of the same name. Long Valley is one of the most fertile agricultural zones on the planet, and setting for a collection of short stories by John Steinbeck called Salinas Valley, as well as his novellas Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony, and epic novel East of Eden. SZ
«M»
Andrew Madsen Herbert and Lois Madsen's son and aspiring film-maker, Andrew is an incoming senior at John Sutter High School during the summer of 1989. His best friend and collaborator is Philip Yau, and his girlfriend is Shandy Meggers. After graduating from high school he studies film at UCLA, but drops out after only two years to write and direct his own film, the violent, edgy thriller In the Company of Wolves, filmed entirely on location in Palm Desert and the Mojave Desert. That film's unexpected success causes him to be hired to direct the production of Tim Page's screenplay Incense and Insensibility, which is soon retitled Santa Zita Daze. Th
Herbert Madsen Lois Madsen's husband and father of Andrew. Herbert’s friends include George Joseph and Terrence, the latter of whom he works with. Th
Mansfield Park An upper-middle-class community just north of Alta Lara that is home to many high tech and venture capital firms. SZ
Maria Gaier Fifth-year senior who is a member of the section Helen teaches for Contemporary American Fiction. She is a skilled practitioner of feminist semiotic theory. After going to graduate school at Yale, she becomes a Professor of Women’s Studies at Vassar College and is author of several popular works of feminist media studies, including “It’s a Trap!,” an analysis of embowerment and yonic imagery in the Star Wars trilogy. DSW, M
Marr Street A major thoroughfare on Santa Zita's east side, meriting an exit on Route 1. The 24-hour pancake house Golden West is located there, a place where April, Caleb and August’s group of friends hang out when they have nothing else better to do . 1989
Melissa A beautiful but trippy girl Jake dates during his junior year. Her pretentious and snooty attitude earns her the dislike of Jake’s female friends. Her sexual proclivities, though, prove too much even for Jake to handle and they soon stop dating. DSW, M
Mexicali A popular drinking game at UC Santa Zita, that involves dice, a cup, bluffing and, of course, beer, preferably Old Milwaukee or Milwaukee's Best. SZ
Michael Sullivan A 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. Michael lives in Kane College's Dorm I, sharing a room with Andy, and on the same floor as Tim, Amy and Sara, but he doesn’t fit in with the other freshmen. Feeling lost and wanting to better understand why he doesn’t fit in, he asks Tim for help. Tim guides Michael through Santa Zita and in the process they become friends. Once Michael actually meets Helen, they become friends as well. DSW, M
Midtown Palace A TransPacific movie theater located on Santa Zita's east side. It has the largest seating capacity of any theater in the Santa Zita area. SZ
Miller House A turn of the century courthouse in the Beaux Art style which was refurbished in the early 1960s and turned into a commercial building, which in the summer of 1989 housed a Santa Zita Comix, sushi cart and a restaurant with an outdoor seating area that often featured live jazz. The Miller House was badly damaged in the Yaçoan quake and was torn down in late fall 1989. 1989
Milwaukee's Best, Old Milwaukee Two of the most popular beers at UC Santa Zita, since they are optimally located on the cost/quality axes. Cans of both feature prominently in the games of Mexicali played at the Claimstake. SZ
Miranda Farlong A friend of Sophie's from Galena with whom Jake had a brief fling during fall quarter 1989. DSW
Miranda Price One of the major characters of Tim's novel Incense and Insensibility, Miranda is a beautiful, intelligent, and sexually adventurous literature student. In the course of the novel, Miranda must choose between sensitive Christian and the rakish Bret Lovelace. In Santa Zita Daze, Miranda Price is played by Winona Ryder, though Tim was hoping for Uma Thurman. M
Missy A skanky Deadhead girl who is part of Todd Fox's group of friends. She has, on occasion, slept with Todd, Jake, George, Mick, Davey, Pete and Stravinsky. Missy is friends with Helen's rival Katie. SZ
Monterey The setting of John Steinbeck’s novels Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, and Sweet Thursday. It is basically a thinly fictionalized version of Terra Nueva. SZ
«N»
Neil Alexander 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 Lana scammed during their freshman year. He later moves to Blythe Canyon, into a house renowned as one of the premier party pads of the Santa Zita area. M
No Sanity For the Damned The debut album from California speed-metal outfit Abyss, it’s a concept album about religion, insanity and the Apocalypse. SZ
Nothing At All A novel written by Brad Eastman Aaronson, chronicling the doings and non-doings of Robert, Brendy, and Von during the summer between their graduation from an elite Beverly Hills prep school and going away to college on the east coast. Joseph Harkes includes it in the syllabus of his Contemporary American Fiction class. Nothing At All was later turned into a movie which was mainly praised for its soundtrack and Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Von. SZ
«O»
The Orion An all wooden roller-coaster, originally built in the 1910s. A registered National Landmark, it is one of the main attractions of Beachland Santa Zita. SZ
«P-Q»
PC, Politically Correct Conforming to the accepted mores and beliefs of UC Santa Zita. SZ
Paradise Blackened The second album from Abyss, released in February 1990 and featuring the epic track “The One Who Died,” about the crucifixion of Jesus. M
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. SZ
Paul Molla The manager of Sunshine Records while Helen worked there in 1989. 1989
Peak A member of Helen’s section in Joseph Harkes's Contemporary American Fiction class. He is the prototypical SNAG. DSW, M
Pete LaTengo The 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 working behind the snack bar all the way to theater manager. Pete is an easy-going boss and well-liked by his employees. 1989
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. SZ
Peter Greunblum Jake's best friend and a member of the Alta Lara High group of friends. He has been friends with Todd Forrest, Jake and Sarah Wolfe since grade school. During high school he briefly dated Helen, and later dated Kelly Weiran during his freshman year. By the time of the 1989-90 school year he is in a relationship with Jamie, a King College sophomore. He attends UC Santa Zita, but goes to Fremont College, not Kane. SZ
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. SZ
Pleasant Town At various times a concept album, comedy film, and multimedia concert spectacle, Pleasant Town is a project Tim and Shek worked on from their junior year of high school all the way until the summer of 1988, when it was finally abandoned. During fall quarter of 1987, Shek’s band Red Sector A put on a concert at Humphrey College which featured part ofPleasant Town, but it was considered a major success, at least by Shek and Tim. SZ
Pornography For Cannibals A film that Andrew Madsen makes during the summer of 1989, combining his parents' therapy footage with scenes from an educational film about the cattle industry and a 70s porno flick called Young and Hard. Th
The Posse The name given by its members to a gang of Movies I & II employees who embezzle money from the theater by means of reselling tickets. The name derives from their code phrase “Posse In Effect.” At first led by Caleb, the gang is later taken over by Tim, with unsuccessful results. 1989
Pulgas A town located about ten miles west of Santa Zita. Pulgas is where Caleb grew up and went to high school, as well as the location of the community college attended by August and the TransPacific movie theater Pulgas Twin. 1989
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 the city of the same name. Frank, the manager of the Pulgas Twin, is renowned for being a hard-ass, in comparison to the laid-back managers of the other theaters. 1989
The Pyre of the Prides A late 80s novel by counter-culture author Richard Fox, set during the mid-80s Wall Street boom. Th, SZ
«R»
Rage, raging, rager, ragar 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, huge rager, or even a ragar. SZ
The Reactor A music club in downtown Santa Zita on the Eden Avenue Mall. Since it’s one of the few live music venues in Santa Zita, it’s unfortunate that most of their shows are 21 and over. SZ
Red Sector A Shek’s band, which first formed during he and Tim’s freshman year of high school, named after the song from Rush’s Grace Under Pressure album. Although they never completed an album, they did produce several demo tapes, including a cassette-only EP of songs from their never-completed concept album, Pleasant Town. During Shek’s freshman year at UC Santa Zita, Red Sector A considered changing their name several times, but still play under that name at thePleasant Town concert. Once Shek moved to San Francisco, the band broke up. SZ
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 the lectures of Joseph Harkes's class Contemporary American Fiction. SZ
Richard Lundquist A Frenchman's Valley-based therapist who achieved some fame in the late 80s with his "Constructive Video Therapy." Herbert and Lois are clients of his during the summer of 1989. He later moved into Internet-based therapy and had his own talk show on the Oxygen channel in the mid-90s. Now retired and living in Ojai. Th
Riga Street Jake's abode during his sophomore year, Jake lived there with surfers Mike and Phoenix. The site of an epic rager at the end of winter quarter 1989, in which everyone took X and Tim almost got together with Lana. 1989
Robin Bailor A friend of Paul, Amy and Sara's who lives on third floor Dorm I of Kane College during the 1989-90 school year. She worked at the Movies I & II during fall 1989, having been transferred there from the Del Rio when that theater was damaged in the Yaçoan quake. SZ
Robin Hurley A Deadhead girl who lived on the fifth floor of Dorm I her freshman year. Robin is mainly friends with Sophie, Lana, Davey and Pete. She and Davey carry on a not totally committed relationship for several years, which began at the 10/3/87 Grateful Dead show, when Davey defended her from harassment in the Shoreline Amphitheatre parking lot. SZ
Rolly A friend of Andrew and Shandy's who has a house where kids from John Sutter High School party. His older brother likes monster truck pulls. Th
The Romanian Contingent A classic film noir, this 1949 movie deals with espionage and nefarious dealings at an international chess tournament in Vienna, Austria. Both Andrew Madsen and Shek Lee are heavily influenced by this film. Based on the novel by Barret Browne. Th
Romp, Romping Helen, Jessica and Roxy's preferred expression for emotionally and physically satisfying sexual intercourse. SZ
Route 27 A California 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. SZ
Roxy Stoker 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 and Jessica. Instead, she lived on the all-female middle section, along with Tina, Bernadette and Robin. Roxy is one of Helen and Jessica’s closest friends. She has an on-again, off-again relationship with Torrance. SZ
Rummidge University A large university in the British Midlands city of the same name, it is known for its surprisingly prestigious English department. Alice Tam did a quarter abroad there in fall 1989. Rummidge is also notable for being the setting of David’s Lodge’s academic satiresChanging Places, Small World and Nice Work. SZ
«S»
Salem Shandy's best friend and another member of John Sutter High School’s class of 1990. Philip Yau has a thing for her and while Salem will sleep with him, she won't be his girlfriend. After graduation, Salem attends Chico State, with predictable results. Th
San Cristobal River A 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 Santa Zita it is a dry bush-clogged ditch, at least during the drought of the late 80s and early 90s. SZ
Santa Cruz The name given to Santa Zita in John Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row. Inspired by that, the name Tim uses for Santa Zita in his unfinished novel Incense and Insensibility as well as the screen-play based on it, which for a while was called Santa Cruz Daze. The producers changed the name to Santa Zita Daze, feeling that it was just too confusing to have the movie set in a city with a made-up name when it was so obviously set in Santa Zita. M
Santa Zita A city of about 50,000 residents on the central California coast, 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 end of the Terra Nueva Bay, at the mouth of the San Cristobal 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. April and August both grew up in Santa Zita, as did Damien, Amber and Joey. Downtown Santa Zita’s main commercial area is the Eden Avenue Mall. SZ
Santa Zita Daze The name given to the movie made from Tim’s screenplay Incense and Insensibility, starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Matt Dillon, and directed by Andrew Madsen. M
Santa Zita High School One of Santa Zita's two high schools, attended by April, her friends Mandy, Star and Shauna, as well as Todd Hirsch. Darren and August are alumni. Santa Zita High is located on a hill overlooking downtown Santa Zita. 1989
Santa Zita Movies I & II A 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 TransPacific Corporation, and managed by Pete LaTengo. Some of the other employees of the Movies I & II during the summer of 1989 include Darren, Todd Hirsch, Janelle, Tabby, and Darla. SZ
Sara Kestler Sara is Amy's room-mate a resident of the fifth floor of Kane's College's Dorm I. She is the organizer of many of the dorm's social activities, including the Valentine's Day 1990 chain party. Her best friends are Amy and Paul Milano, and she is also friends with Tim, Andy, and Todd Ridley. SZ
Sarah Wolfe A member of the Alta Lara High group of friends, Sarah ends up attending Holy Ghost University in Connecticut. During high school she went out with Todd Forrest, and their relationship continues on an intermittent basis throughout college. SZ
Scam, Scammer To get together, 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 always trying to get the better end of every situation. SZ
Schmack, Schmacklee A term of disapprobation used by Helen, Jessica and Roxy to describe men they do not approve of. SZ
The Schoolboys A mod ska band based in Santa Zita. Joey is their lead singer. Though they occasionally play shows in places as far away as Santa Barbara and Goleta, they never achieved much success beyond that. Some of the members of The Schoolboys went on to form Recess, who were more popular, riding on the coattails of the post-Sublime/No Doubt ska revival. 1989
Shameless A long-hair tortoise-shell cat owned by Helen's downstairs neighbors on Holly Street. He spends much of his time bullying Bristle and eating her food. M
Shandy Meggers Andrew's girlfriend from 1989 to 1993, Shandy is a graduate of John Sutter High School's class of 1990. Her best friend is Salem, and she is also friends with Philip Yau and Rolly. She drives a 1978 Oldsmobile Toronado, a gift from her paternal grandfather. During the summer of 1989 she works at The Doughnut Shop. After graduating from high school, she attends UCLA in order to be close to Andrew and support him as he pursues a career in Hollywood. She majors in astronomy at UCLA and, unlike Andrew, ends up graduating. Their relationship suffers when Andrew becomes dangerously obsessed with his third film, an adaptation of The Crying of Lot 49, and she finally ends up leaving him for Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys. Th
Shek Lee Tim’s best friend in middle and high school, who also attended UC Santa Zita during the 1987-88 school year, living at Fremont College, on the same floor as George and Kelly. He dropped out after only one year, eventually transferring to San Francisco State. Shek is a multi-talented artist, being a skilled musician, painter and film-maker. He and Tim worked on the project Pleasant Town from their junior year of high school until college, finally abandoning it during the summer of 1988. SZ
Shine To opt out of an obligation or opportunity. Often a person’s response to a suggestion that is found to be absurd or undesirable is just say “shine.” Unlike flake, shine can be used in the imperative, and while flaking is almost always viewed in the negative, in some circumstances (for example, core class on a beautiful sunny day) shining is the correct course of action. SZ
Sketchy, sketched out, sketcher A situation that is questionable and potentially dangerous; to be experiencing a feeling of threat to one's well-being or safety. A sketcher is a person that produces that sensation. SZ
SNAG Sensitive New Age Guy. An 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 exemplar is Peak. SZ
Sofia “Sophie” Alighieri Sophie is a member of Tim's group of friends at UC Santa Zita. She grew up on her family’s vineyard in the mountains over-looking the town of Galena in the Napa Valley. She started attending UC Santa Zita in 1987, living with fellow Galena native Lana Scott on the same Dorm I section as Helen, Jessica, Jake, and Mick. During her freshman year she went out with George Smith, but they broke up during her sophomore year, after which she started going out with Todd Forrest. SZ
Steven J. Gallows The director of the film adaption of the novel Crazy For Love, as well as the chairman of the jury for the 1989 Sturges Prize in Independent Film-Making whose personal intercession made it possible to award that year’s prize to Andrew Madsen. He is perhaps best known for Mr. Lonely, an off-beat, edgy thriller released in 1986 which won the Palme D’Or at Cannes. SZ, Th
Stolla A 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. Stolla is the location of a branch of Pizza My Love, as well as also the TransPacific movie theater Stolla Mall Six. SZ
Stolla Mall Six One of the TransPacific Corporation's five movie theaters in the Santa Zita area, located in the Stolla Mall. 1989
Stone Blaze A disc jockey on radio station KUMM during the late 80s and early 90s, occupying the evening drive-time slot. Tim and Jake's favorite D, he ends his shift every night with the “Zep Set at Seven” in which he plays three or four Led Zeppelin songs, including rare and bootleg live tracks. SZ
Stravinsky A resident of Dorm I during the 1987-88 school year. He is mainly friends with Roxy, Tina and Bernadette. After being friends with her for several years, he gets together with Bernadette during winter quarter 1990. SZ
Sunshine Records A record store on the Eden Avenue Mall in downtown Santa Zita, managed by Paul Molla. Helen works there during the spring and summer of 1989. Sunshine Records manages to survive the Yaçoan quake, but not the gradual collapse of the record industry, and the chain goes out of business in the late 90s. SZ
«T»
Tabby A girl who works as cashier at the TransPacific Movies I & II during the summer of 1989. Despite her previous experience working retail, Pete was forced to stop scheduling her as cashier after she came up short at the end of her shift one too many times. Soon after, she left the theater to work at Eztel’s Department Store. 1989
Taco Haven A Frenchman's Valley eatery that sells tacos and burritos. Cheap and delicious, it is popular with John Sutter High School students, including Philip Yau. Th
Terra Nueva A city located at the southern tip of Terra Nueva Bay. Home to a world-renowned aquarium and famous as the home of John Steinbeck for many years. He set several of his novels there, but called it Monterey. SZ
Terra Nueva Bay A large semi-circular bay on the central California coast. Among the cities and communities on its shoreline include Santa Zita, Dead Oak, Stolla, and Terra Nueva. SZ
Terrence Rafferty Herbert's best friend and co-worker. Th
That City In Morocco A musical set in WW2-era Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire and Virginia Dale. A somewhat incongruous mix of wartime intrigue and big dance numbers, the film was initially considered to be a bomb, but later became a cult classic. Herbert is a fan of this movie, and quotes from it in one of the therapy tapes he makes with Lois. Th
Theresa Helen, Jessica and Tim's section leader in Contemporary American Fiction when they took the class winter quarter of the 1989. Theresa encouraged Helen to become a TA, which she did the following year. During the summer of 1989 Helen sees Theresa with Joseph Harkes in a restaurant in Alta Lara, and realizes they are having an affair. 1989
Those Shoes A 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. There is also a Those Shoes located on the Eden Avenue Mall in downtown Santa Zita. SZ
Timothy Dylan Page The progeny of an academic yet entrepreneurial family, Tim grew up in Alta Lara, California, where his best friend was Shek. An indifferent student, he ended up attending UC Santa Zita in 1987 purely by default, but soon began to thrive there, after some initial setbacks. 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. During the summer of 1989 Tim worked at the TransPacific Movies I & II, where he became friends with Caleb, August and April. SZ
Todd Forrest Another member of the Alta Lara High group of friends, Todd spent his entire childhood in Alta Lara and was friends with Jake, Peter and Dave Stone from a young age. In high school he went out with Sarah Wolfe, and he later dated Sophie during 1989. SZ
Todd Fox Helen's boyfriend from fall quarter 1988 until winter 1990. Todd is part of a large group of friends, distinct but interconnected in various ways with Tim’s, that includes his housemates John Wray and Brent, as well as Willoughby, Neil, Torrance, Missy and Katie. Todd lived in Kane College's Dorm II during his freshman year. SZ
Todd Hirsch An employee at the Santa Zita Movies I & II during the summer of 1989. When not working at the movie theater, Todd enjoys working out at Gold's Gym and listening to Schooly D, NWA, and Too Short. Todd in the same class at Santa Zita High as April, but they are not really friends. 1989
Todd Ridley A tall, good-looking guy who lives on fifth floor Dorm I during the 1989-90 school year. He is friends with Amy, Sara, and Andy, and is known to Tim and Michael mainly for blasting Public Enemy incessantly. DSW, M
Torrance A guy that Roxy has an attachment to from spring quarter of her freshman year until 1990. He is not well-liked by Roxy’s female friends, and has even been described as a schmack. SZ
TransPacific Corporation A company that owned movie theaters in the area of Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. In the Santa Zita area, they owned the Santa Zita Movies I & II, Del Rio, Midtown Palace, Stolla Mall Six and the Pulgas Twin, which they acquired by buying the Central Coast Theaters chain in the early 80s. In the mid-90s TransPacific were themselves acquired by Royal Cinemas Inc., a division of Haliburton. SZ
«U»
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, which was donated by the Kane family (of publishing fame.) UC Santa Zita was founded in the late 60s, at a time of considerable student unrest, and the campus was designed not to have a central gathering place. During the late 80s, UC Santa Zita consists of eight colleges, including Kane, Fremont, Humphrey, King, Handler, Krupke, Redwood and the campus-less College H. The UCSZ nickname is the Fightin’ Abalone. SZ
Upton Sinclair Middle School A junior high school located in central Alta Lara. The place where Tim and Shek first became friends. SZ
«V»
Veronica An assistant manager at the TransPacific Movies I & II during the summer of 1989. Unlike Laura and Caleb, she is not well-liked by the employees. She is eventually fired by Pete due to her inability to master the TransPacific ATAC system. 1989
Vigilante Nuns A Davis, CA-based punk band of the late 80s. Though they opened up a few shows for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Mother's Milk tour, nothing much else ever became of them. Th
Viking Master Another popular drinking game at Alta Lara High and UC Santa Zita, Viking Master is a game involving rowing motions, pointing, and course, drinking. Some people play an advanced version that allows the Viking Master to make up their own rules. SZ
Vince An assistant manager at the Del Rio during the summer of 1989, he is transferred to the TransPacific Movies I & II when the Del Rio is closed for repairs after the Yaçoan quake, temporarily delaying August’s promotion.
«W»
Wake and bake The way many UC Santa Zita students greet the day. Wake is self-explanatory, bake is explained elsewhere. SZ
Welsh Valley A town located on Route 27 about ten minutes north of Santa Zita on route 27. The location of a six-screen movie theater not affiliated with the TransPacific Corporation, and also home to Boreland Software, where August works during the fall of 1989. SZ
Western Bell The RBOC with responsibility for California and Nevada’s phone services. SZ
Willoughby A friend of Todd Fox's and an avid surfer. He has a reputation as a guy whose tastes run to (inappropriately) younger women. SZ
Winterton A city adjacent to Cambridge, MA, where David Stone lives while he is a student at Boston University. SZ
Wishing Well A 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". SZ
«XYZ»
Yaçoan An area of the Santa Zita mountains near Pulgas that is the site of several natural springs. Named for the Native American tribe who made their home in that part of California, it was the epicenter of the quake on October 17, 1989 that devastated downtown Santa Zita and Bakersville. SZ
Yak, yakking To vomit profusely. SZ
Yalta Street The street where Sophie, Lana and Bernadette live during their junior year.
Philip Yau Andrew Madsen’s best friend and creative partner, Philip is a writer and musician. He is a year ahead of Andrew in high school, and ends up attending UC Santa Zita in the fall of 1989, living on the same hall as Tim. He has a hopeless love for Shandy’s best friend Salem, who will sleep with him but not be his girlfriend. After he graduates from UCSZ in 1993 he rejoins Andrew in LA and works on Andrew’s third feature film, a disastrous “adaptation” of Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49,which succeeds only in enraging Pynchon fans and baffling everyone else. Th, SZ
Young and Hard A classic of late 70s erotica, created by the always reliable Gomorrah Pictures. Andrew uses footage from it in his film Pornography for Cannibals. Th
Zambiggini's A supermarket located in downtown Santa Zita, in a mall adjacent to the Santa Zita Movies I & II. SZ
Key
1989 = 1989 A Novel
DSW = The Deep & Savage Way
M = Margarita/Volume III
Th = Therapy
SZ = All volumes of the Santa Zita Trilogy
