Every writer owes as much to the people who have encouraged and supported him as he does to inspiration and craft. Those I owe: At the University of Arizona: Christopher ‘Kit’ Mcllroy, Diza Sauers, Jane Martin, Becky Byrkit, Barbara Cully, Dr. Jerrold Hogle, Marvin Diogenes. At Bennington College: Askold Melnyczuk, Amy Hempel, Maria Flook, Susan Cheever (and Quad and Sarah), Liam Rector, Douglas Bauer.
I also owe Panagiotis Gianopoulos at Bloomsbury USA for his courage and for his Herculean efforts on my behalf.
In general: Chase Angier, Frederick Barthelme, Catherine Berclaz, Josephine Bergin, Charles Bock, Rebecca Boyd, Susan Breen, Sibylle Bruyninckx, Sean and Allison Burke, Jacqueline Shelton Carrillo, Hillary Chute, Doug Clarke, Jeremy Clarke, Jared Clarke, Curt Collinsworth, Shelia Convery, Ronan Feighery, Heather E. Fisher, Martin Fluger, Rie Fortenberry, Boyd and Glenda Gilkey, Kristin Gould, Dave Harris, Pete Hausler, Jordan Heller, Jennifer Hodge, Marilee Johnson, John and Yvonne Kalien, Elsie Kephart, Dylan Krider, Kenneth Kwok, John Laprade, Debra Levy, the Lew sisters, Stefanie Lipson, Alexander Loudon, Kristina Lucenko, Ty McLeod, Fiona Maazel, Stephanie Mabee, the Macdonalds, Sarah Mager, Aaron and Rhonda Quartullo, Phil Quartullo of Biltmore Pro Print in Phoenix and his big ol’ bad ol’ Quartullo clan, Mary Robison, William S. Rose, Jr., Michael Rosovksy and the entire Rosovsky family, Lavinia Spalding, Sally and Betsy Ullstrup (nay all Ullstrups), David Vidoni, Simon Ward, Dr. and Mrs. Theodore F. Weber, Clyde and Doris West, Dawn Williams, everyone at Bennington, everyone in the Burgundy Club, everyone at Harold Ober (who let me live in their offices while I wrote this).
And of course you,___________________________________. How could I forget you?
The following establishments did nothing but retard the writing of this book but thanks to them anyway: Siberia Bar, Minetta Tavern, 288 Elizabeth St. (aka The Bar That Never Disappoints), Iona, the Irish Rover, Jimmy Walker’s, 2A, St. Dymphna’s, Blue & Gold, The Grange Hall, Russian Vodka Room, and McBell’s (RIP).