I’m embarrassed to admit I started writing these acknowledgments before the book had even found a publisher. This stemmed less from any confidence that it would sell and more from the anxiety that I would forget to thank all the people who helped me during this book’s long journey.
First kudos goes to the kind and thoughtful Erin Fitzgerald, with whom I talked through my initial crazy idea for the book and who told me, “Go for it.”
Thank you to my spooky sister-in-spirit Sheri Sorvillo for all the writing lunches and writing coffees—this book would never have been written without all those Starbucks lattes. I am also grateful to Katrina Denza and the wonderful staff at Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities for providing much-needed space and time to draft major parts of this manuscript. Shout-out to Lis Hamilton, who was my cheerleader during the final writing stages of this book. I will always think “Done! Check!” when I think of you.
LynDee Walker and Laura Ellen Scott were the first two people to read the book. I will be forever grateful to them for dropping everything and reading that messy draft and encouraging me to move forward with it. Thank you to the wonderful editor Caitlin Alexander, who made the book that much better as well.
Special thanks to Ed Aymar, one of my best writing friends, for always being supportive, generous and ridiculous just when I need it most. Other folks who offered simple gestures of generosity and kindness when they didn’t have to include Paul Tremblay, Amber Sparks, Ben Chadwick, Christina Hogrebe, Linda Landrigan, April Kaminski and Alan Orloff. I’m grateful to my colleagues at ASCD for all their support and kindness, especially Anthony Rebora and Naomi Thiers.
Thank you to my delightfully witty and exceptionally attractive agent, Michelle Richter, for first believing in this book and taking all my paranoid Facebook messages with calm and grace. And my editor, Melanie Fried, who made this book better than I ever thought it would be. You are amazing at what you do.
I am fortunate to have a wonderful writing family, without whom I would be lost. So, much gratitude to all my friends who put up with my anxiety and craziness in this up-and-down business—I’m looking at you, Christopher Allen, John Copenhaver, Josh Denslow, Beth Fiencke, Tara L. Masih, Frances McMillen, Bernadette Murphy, Matt Norman, Helen Rye, Brandon Wicks and all my “family” at SmokeLong Quarterly. And endless thanks to Jennifer Egan, who I somehow am lucky enough to be able to call a friend and mentor and who always shines a hopeful light in the darkness.
And of course I need to thank my family. My dad, who always tells me I’m living right and doing what I believe in; my brother, Mike, who’s probably the hardest-working person I know; and my aunts, who are basically my guardian angels.
My mom died just a few weeks before I sold this book, and my heart aches that I never got to properly celebrate with her over margaritas. Still, I know she’s tipping her glass to me somewhere, somehow. I’d never be the writer or the reader I am without her. And I miss her.
Finally, thank you Art Taylor, my husband and best friend in the whole wide world and biggest champion. I’m grateful to share this crazy journey with you. And none of this would be worth it without our son, Dashiell, who brings more joy into the world than I could ever hope for.