Most people think of LA's past as the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. You totally forgo that in Sporting Guide. What drew you to this time period and the world of prostitution?

Liz Goldwyn, Zac PosenI have always been interested in writing/thinking/talking/researching sexuality, especially women who have working the field and who were shunned by society. So prostitution was an early fascination, even before I got into the subject of burlesque (My first book Pretty Things: The Last Generation of American Burlesque Queens). As for setting Sporting Guide in 1897, I love the end of the 19th century: so much was happening worldwide, history changed and moved faster in the 100 years to come than it had in the 1000 years before. It was such a transitional moment for mankind, especially with technology, and as a native Angeleno, one whose family is associated with the movie business, it felt like my moral duty to show that Los Angeles had history and culture before cinema (in fact, we had the 5th Symphony in the nation in 1898!). [Liz Goldwyn, Zac Posen]
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