How I Learned About Inez Burns, The Famous “Queen of Abortionists”

If you know Mary Florey–the longtime owner of Florey’s Bookstore in Pacifica, you know what a great lady she is. She’s supportive, she’s loving, she’s a real person. Down-to-earth.

One day Mary Florey called me and told me that I might want to interview Caroline Carlisle, a Pacifica woman, who had a fascinating story to tell me about her relative, Inez Burns, the famous San Francisco “queen of abortionists.” Ms. Burns was headquartered in San Francisco but she had strong ties to the Coastside, at La Honda, Half Moon Bay and finally a hospital in Moss Beach.

It’s not often a writer gets a call like this–a tip that really pans out. The result of my multi-houred interview with Caroline Carllisle, along with my own newspaper research, follows in the next series of posts. Maybe someday soon I will put the amazing pieces together in a book–or a movie because the story of Inez Burns possesses so many colorful “L.A. Confidential-like” dimensions to it. And, as they say so often these days–you can’t make this stuff up.