A BOOK OF THIS SCOPE REQUIRES A CAPABLE and seasoned captain at the helm, and I owe huge thanks to Mike Grudowski for steering this project through every phase since the initial brainstorming session in February 2016. I’m grateful for his dedication and talent. Around the Garden & Gun offices, everyone pitched in. Deputy Editor Dave Mezz put in weekends and late nights, bringing the same exacting attention to detail that he does to the pages of the magazine. Design Director Marshall McKinney and former associate art director Braxton Crim helped guide the work of Dahl Taylor, who created the cover illustration, and Harry Bates, who drew the interior illustrations. Speaking of design, Shubhani Sarkar effortlessly brought G&G’s aesthetic to the pages of the book.
We all sleep better when we know Donna Levine, the magazine’s copy chief, is on the job. I’m also grateful for G&G staffers Jed Portman, Elizabeth Hutchison, CJ Lotz, Amanda Heckert, Phillip Rhodes, and Dacey Orr, who all contributed entries, and for the diligent work of intern Caroline Sanders.
As they have done with the previous three Garden & Gun books, Karen Rinaldi, the publisher at Harper Wave, and Julie Will, the editorial director, inspire us to reach for new heights, and the book is much better because of it. Their insights are evident on every page. Along with Julie and Karen, our team at Harper—Brian Perrin, Leah Carlson-Stanisic, and Milan Bozic—are a true joy to work with.
Our literary agent, Amy Hughes of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner, is a tireless champion of the G&G brand and, more important, a good friend.
There are too many contributors to these pages to thank them all in this space. But I hope you’ll read through their bios to see the breadth of their experience and accomplishments. There’s certainly no book without their expertise. They make my job a delight.
At G&G we are fortunate to have three outstanding owners in Rebecca Wesson Darwin, our leader and CEO; Pierre Manigault; and Edward Bell III. They have believed in this magazine through thick and thin, and have always allowed us creative freedom and editorial independence.
Finally, nobody lived the ups, downs, and deadlines of this project more than my wife, Jenny. From the day I met her, she has been my most trusted sounding board and counselor. Thank you.