This little book has been a long time coming. I’m deeply gratified that the Wild Onion Novella prize judge, Lindsay Hunter, a writer whose work I admire, and Catherine Eves and Naomi Huffman at Curbside Splendor, saw the value in it. I’m grateful for my editor at Curbside, Joe Demes. His sharp eye and suggestions have made this a better book.
I’m indebted to The Massachusetts Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary staff, who taught me more than I ever thought I’d need to know about the life cycle of mushrooms.
My first readers, Russ Bannon and Melissa Gerald, provided invaluable early feedback. Sadly, Russ didn’t live to see its publication. For years he was an ardent champion of my writing. I’ve dedicated this book to his memory.
My friend, Jane Hansen, read one of the last revisions on a flight from Chicago to Orange County. Thank you, Jane.
To my fellow Hot Pants Writing Group participants, I’m grateful to all of you.
And thanks to two of my teachers. Maxine Rodburg at Harvard taught me the simplest of principles: all stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Pam Houston, during our private conference at the first workshop I did at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, told me to write, and submit, and get published. And so, I did.