The setting for the SoHo murder in THE LOFT is based on Tama's friend's abode on Prince Street; all 4,300 square feet of it. As far as Tama knows, nobody was ever murdered there, but they did need CPR after seeing that much living space in Manhattan. The loft can be seen in Woody Allen's film, Melinda and Melinda. Pop artist Peter Max has made Tama and her Leonberger, Milo, the subject of two of his paintings. They met during a chance encounter in SoHo. The photograph below features Tama, her husband, Johan, and Milo in Tribeca and appears in the book Bow Wow Chow by Julia Szabo. The shoot took awhile because one of the subjects was less than cooperative. A few (12-15) slices of proscuitto later, Szabo got her shot. She first wrote about the trio for her column in The New York Post. Tama is the name given to household pets in Japan. Apparently, it is the equivalent of naming your child Fido. Tama discovered this on her seventh birthday, when the Benihana staff attempted to serenade her with "Happy Birthday" and broke into hysterical laughter when they came to her name in the song. Finally, to Tama's parents' relief, a manager intervened. But the name proved too much for him and he broke down as well. The incident is part of a recurring nightmare. Growing up without a television, Tama was forced early on to find ways to amuse herself; by playing the violin, drawing, and staring for hours at her Dukes of Hazzard lunchbox, pretending it was a television. When she's not at her computer, Tama can be found behind the wheel of her truck; off-roading on the Southampton and Fire Island dunes. In other words, if you're sunbathing or picnicking and see a large, metallic green vehicle coming towards you, it's best to get out of the way...quickly. Tama has worked in politics, publicity, and journalism. She has lived in Manhattan, Boston, and London. These are themes and locations in her book. But, THE LOFT is entirely fictitious...with one exception. The character of Rupert is based on Tama's dog, Milo. For the purposes of THE LOFT, Rupert is slightly bigger, weighing in at 175-pounds, as opposed to Milo's real-life weight of 160-pounds. Photo credit: © Julia Szabo