I’m deeply indebted to the individuals and institutions whose encouragement and support was invaluable to me while writing this book:
Thank you to Martha Jessup, Douglas Humble, and the Lannan Foundation for the incomparable gift of a Writing Residency; to Rob Weiner and the Chinati Foundation for exquisite access to the sheds; to Oliver Franklin and the Elisabeth Ney Museum’s Writer in Residence program for several fine weeks in a windy turret; and to the University of Texas at Austin’s Faculty Research Award program for time off from teaching in which to write.
Thank you to Mary Szybist, first reader, visible and invisible companion throughout; to Elizabeth McCracken, final reader, whose advice made everything smarter and more possible; and to Eula Biss, Julie Carr, Jane Miller, Deborah Paredez, Srikanth Reddy, and Vincent Scarpa whose insight and enthusiasm were crucial along the way. Thanks, too, to the additional friends who offered helpful input on the manuscript in-process and/or essential companionship to the life in-progress: Heather Abel, Edward Carey, Rob Casper, Kris Delmhorst, Lauren Dias, Matthea Harvey, Noy Holland, Peter Kochansky, Cecily Parks, Barry Rothman, Petros Varthakouris, Michael Wiegers, and Matthew Zapruder.
Thank you to Margaret Babbot, Jill Heytens, Jeanne Hubbuch, Bill Ryan, Rivers Sterling, and Aline Zeringue for variously expert and unfailingly compassionate care.
Thank you to Erika Goldman, whose interest made this book a better version of itself, and to everyone at BLP for giving it such an excellent home.
And thank you most of all to my family, especially my parents, Linda and Michael Olstein, for a lifetime of love and support; to David for half a lifetime (and counting) of the same; and to Toby for being the source of so much love, hilarity, and inspiration.