I probably should start by thanking Igor for letting me turn his life into hard copy and apologizing for all the times I brought a notebook to the banya.
A mighty thanks to everyone in Russia who took the time to candidly and openly discuss their lives and experiences with me.
Thanks to Angelina Davidova and Galka Chernetskaya, who ran back-up translating for me in live interviews and who helped in tracking down many of those who took the time to candidly and openly discuss their lives and experiences.
Thanks to Jeremy Keehn who published in The Walrus the banya story, “Getting sweaty with a Russian hulk,” which grew into this book.
Thanks to the Summer Literary Seminars program in St. Petersburg, Russia, and all the folks who caroused with me the intersection between Russian and North American literature for ten summers, especially to program founder Mikhail Iossel. Without you, man, I’d never know St. Petersburg, and I can’t imagine my life not knowing St. Petersburg.
Thank you to Alina Ryabovolova, whose insights about Russia invariably steered me toward new levels of understanding and without whose support I’d have never finished this thing.
Thanks to Josh Knelman for numerous consultations on The Weirdness.
Thanks to the Fulbright Scholar Program and the Hermitage Artist Retreat.
Thanks to everyone at Harper Collins Canada who worked on and looked out for this book, particularly Maria Golikova, Alex Schultz, and Jane Warren. This book was a dogfight to get right. My editor Jennifer Lambert got in the ring with me. Any faults of this work are surely mine, but all of its strengths are at least in part due to her editorial acumen. Thank you, Jennifer, for your patience and encouragement.
And thanks once again, Ellen Levine.