No book is a solitary effort and so I must thank all of my brilliant friends and colleagues who helped me along the way. My thanks to Sean Bernard, Josh Bernstein, Stephan Clarke, Emily Fridlund, Alexis Landau, Lisa Locascio, Josie Sigler, Cody Todd, and most of all to Bonnie Nadzam, whose friendship and readership improved every one of these stories. To my teachers, Lee K. Abbott, Emily Anderson, Aimee Bender, T.C. Boyle, Michelle Herman, Dana Johnson, Erin McGraw, and Jim Shepard, for the heroic amount of time, faith, and effort they’ve given me over the years. To Kate Johnson, my agent, who has been a tireless champion of my work. To all of the editors who first published these stories in magazines and literary journals. To Alissa Nutting for awarding this book the Starcherone Prize. To Kate, Mark, and everyone at Red Hen.
Most of all, my thanks to my family: my grandparents, Michael and Lois Polk; my aunts and uncles; my parents, Jeanne and John Hurt; my sister, Emily Hurt; and my son, Ezra Hurt. Without your unconditional love, support, and optimism, none of these stories would exist.
Finally, I want to single out, praise, and celebrate Marielle Henault, my first, last, and best reader, whose faith in me exceeds reason, and who is the best person in my life. Thank you for every single day of our wonderful life together.