On The Town

by Phil Stanford
May 31, 2002, Portland Tribune

"Leave a message or not," begins author Doug Rennie's answering machine. "It's all the same to me." ...But he really does care. I know, because he called back to say the title of his new book of "dark, edgy and disquieting" short stories, to be released next month, is "Badlands" ... No one will be surprised that Ray Tillotson, owner of Ray's Ragtime on Southwest Morrison, deals in what those in the trade call "vintage sleaze paperbacks." You know, those salacious little tomes from the '50s like "Naked on Roller Skates," "Weekend Wedding" and "I Was a Slut for the CIA." ...But how could it be possible that Ray's best customer for them is high-priced divorce lawyer Jody Stahancyk? ... Turns out Jody is having the covers enlarged and hung from the wall of the restrooms in her new quarters on Southwest 15th. "Figure there ought to be something they can grin about," she says. My sentiments exactly.