Is there really a Keoki Atoll in Hawaii?
No. I made it up. But I based a lot of its history on Kure Atoll, a trio of distant islands currently owned by the U.S. government. It's a major hangout for the Hawaiian monk seal and their sick little sex games.

So the Hawaiian monk seal really does exist?
Yes. But ask me again in 2015 and I might have a different answer.

On page 3, you mention that a social protest "lasted about as long as Divx." What the hell is Divx?
Divx was an experimental format of DVD that provided unlimited viewing for 48 hours but would then cost extra for subsequent viewings. It was extremely unpopular with privacy advocates (since the Divx player automatically billed the user's credit card through a phone line) as well as environmental advocates (since it created mounds and mounds of discarded plastic). It was an obscure reference, to be sure. Even I didn't get it at first.

Was the part about Edward Bernays and the "Torches of Liberty" brigade true (p. 11)?
Absolutely. Edward Bernays was by virtually all accounts the father of modern PR. For more information, I recommend the excellent biography by Larry Tye.

But for those keeping score, Bernays died at 103. And nobody really missed him.

Would the Associated Press really fly a reporter 5,000 miles just to cover a nude protest?
Nah. In reality, they would have just sent a reporter from the Honolulu bureau. I'm entitled to a little dramatic license, aren't I? Aren't I?!

Is all that stuff about Video News Releases true?! (pp. 18-19)
Tragically, yes. Our TV news programs routinely air pre-packaged story segments from corporate/government flacks without ever disclosing the source. It's been a dirty little secret of the news business for over 25 years. Fortunately, there are good people who are working hard to bring this practice to light. And I'm working with them!

If Miranda's so repulsed by what Scott's doing, then why is she helping him?
Because like any real journalist, Miranda knows the story Scott's feeding her (200 WOMEN STRIP NAKED) is much more interesting and marketable than the truth (PR GUY MANIPULATES NEWS).

You seem to spend a lot of time setting up Deb Isham as a character, and yet we never see her again after Chapter 1. What's up with that?
Deb herself isn't very important, but what she says to Scott at the end of their acquaintance is hugely significant to Scott's arc, and the theme of SLICK itself.

For a real sense of what I was aiming for, compare what Deb says to Scott towards the bottom of page 29 to what Madison says to Scott at the top of page 462.