My deep thanks to editors Neil Gordon, Donovan Hohn, Heidi Julavits, Alexander Star, Ted Genoways, Roger D. Hodge, Jennifer Schuessler, Adam Begley, Leo Carey, Abraham Streep, Greg Veis, and Michael Pietsch. Thanks also to my agent, Heather Schroder, and to Dave Eggers, Chris Ying, Michelle Quint, and Adam Krefman at McSweeney’s, and Andrew Miller and Maria Goldverg at Vintage. Thank you, finally, to Gabriel Reeve, who provided some crucial last-second help in putting this collection together.