Acknowledgments

Thank you to everyone who helped me write this book. I would not have been able to start or finish it without your support. I am forever humbled by your generosity, candor, and love.

For mentorship, reading, coaching, notes, edits, and talks: Melissa Febos, Alison Deming, Ander Monson, Chris Cokinos, Kat Ivanov, Maddie Norris, Lucy Kirkman, Natalie Lima, Emma Thomason, Hea-Ream Lee, Julie Lunde, Kate Beutner, Shawna Yang Ryan, Cindy Franklin, Rachel Reeves.

For telling me to keep writing: Hap Veeser, Vicki Whicker, Andrew Devitt, Kate Bernheimer, Katy Nishimoto, Dahlia Heyman.

For love, friendship, truth, and helping me believe in myself: Nicolas Holck, Claire Steines, May Conley, Matt Flego, Susan and Stacie May.

For walls, quiet, chats, and a surrogate home space: Corky Poster, Mary Goethals, and Pima.

For opening your life and training to my research: Josh Purcell

For believing in this book and reading it the way I hoped it could be read: Matt McGowan, Drew Weitman.

For the funding and creative guidance that allowed me to get started: the MFA program at the University of Arizona.

For my brains, for support of every kind, and in gratitude for agreeing to skip over all the previous pages: my parents.