If These Walls Had Ears (38 page)

In addition, many people whom I’ve never met or spoken with helped immeasurably by their writings, and I want to mention them
in addition to those works I’ve already cited in the text: Cheryl Griffith Nichols for a paper called “The Development of
Pulaski Heights,” plus many other works about the background of this area; James W. Bell for his
Little Rock Handbook;
Jim and Judy Lester for their book
Greater Little Rock;
F. Hampton Roy for his
How We Lived: Little Rock as an American City.
Alan Gurganus for his wonderful essay in the collection
Home
; Joseph Mitchell for
Up in the Old Hotel
; the film
The Wisdom of the Dream
, part two, on which you can hear Carl Jung’s description of the pivotal house dream. Also, though I mentioned Robert Grudin’s
work, I didn’t give the title of his book, which I found so useful—
Time
and the Art of Living.

I want to single out the contributions of my editor, Jamie Raab, and her then-assistant, Rob McQuilkin. They loved the idea
of this book from the beginning, and they never failed to let me know it. No
wonder
both of them have been promoted since we began this project. Jamie proved to be an astute and insightful editor, both in
the big picture and in the small details, and I count myself lucky to have been able to work with her.

Finally, I want to thank my family, beginning with my mother and father and brother, with whom I shared so many houses. For
this book, my mother, Pat, refreshed my memory with her wonderful stories. My brother, Phil, a writer himself, read portions
of the manuscript and offered insights of his own. My late father, Leger, simply loomed over the whole project, as he seems
to loom over so many things I write, no matter how much I try to escape it. My own sons, David and Matthew, with whom I’ve
shared so few houses, encouraged me to pursue this quest even when it looked like the longest of long shots.

As for the current residents of 501 Holly—Beth, Blair, and Bret—I’m grateful to them all, not just for being such an important
part of my story, but for their love and forbearance during my telling of it. Especially Beth, who knows right where I live.

ON A SHADY STREET IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, SITS A HOUSE WITH AN INTRIGUING STORY.

NOW ONE MAN HAS DECIDED TO TELL IT…

IF THESE WALLS HAD EARS

“This is more than a history of a house. It is the story of people with a sense of place, of time passing, and of old vanished voices—all written in a wonderfully clean and incisive prose.”

—Willie Morris, author of
New York Days and My Dog Skip

“If you have ever fantasized about hearing the walls of an old house talk, you will take joy and delight and find bounty in this book which gracefully reveals the sweetness and the gravity, and the tragedies of the ordinary.”

—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, author of
Italian Days and An Accidental Autobiography

“I immediately became enthralled. IF THESE WALLS HAD EARS is a great read: social history, personal stories, and a look at the decades, flowing smoothly from start to finish. A wonderful book!”

—Larry L. King, author of
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas