AS I STARTED thinking about this book, my treasured friend and agent, Bill Clegg, and I walked arm in arm in the Highline in New York City, and together we listed everything we could think of that was cozy. Food things, like donuts, sad things like broken hearts, and of course we exclaimed very loudly, at the same time, that walking arm in arm is cozy! There is never a day that goes by that I don’t thank heaven and earth for the wonderful Bill Clegg.
When I first met with Karen Rinaldi to talk about this book, we drank tea on a sofa. During that meeting not only did Karen totally get what I was talking about, but while deftly honing my ideas, also gave parenting advice, spoke like a poet about surfing and the ocean (she has a seahorse tattoo), and made the true point that this book would be a big collaboration—kind of with the world. I would like to thank Karen for giving Cozy a shot, her spectacular points of view, her kindness, and her sense of fun.
In the same first meeting, but on a different sofa, sat Sarah Murphy and Hannah Robinson, and for that I am so grateful. Sarah Murphy with careful wisdom and a good pencil brought much-needed structure to Cozy. Hannah Robinson, with boundless positivity and the best possible questions, carried Cozy over the finish line. My sincerest thanks to you both.
I would like to give heartfelt thanks to everyone at HarperWave for their hard work, creativity, and support. Copy editor Janet Rosenberg, Joanne O’Neill for designing the cover of leaves and shine!, Penny Makras, the marketing director, and Rachel Elinsky, the publicity director.
Just as Karen predicted, it took just about my whole world to get this book on its feet, and indeed, I am forever grateful to all who contributed their ideas, thoughts, and mojo.
I would like to wholeheartedly and with great love thank Vanessa Gillespie, Bess Ratliff, Mark and Charlotte Cunningham, Nina Train, Ann Riley Finck, RN, Rachel Martin, Dr. Africa Stewart, David Beer FAIA, Clea Lewis, Sarah Durham and her artsy family, Dr. Fred Ogden, Dewi and Robert de Luxembourg, Tracy Zwick, Katie Brown, Miles Redd, Mo Shome, Camilla Calimandrei, Nathan Turner, Eric Hughes, Marina Connor, Annette Berkery, Lindsey Marx, Ali Wentworth, Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, Ashley McDermott, Christine Marinoni, Nick Paumgarten, Cristina Cuomo, Debra Messing, Nancy Jarecki, Sam Sifton, Carmen Duntan, DeSales Harrison, Ann Harrison. Thank you to every old and new friend I have. I am so grateful for you.
Thank you, dearest, always supportive family-in-law, every single one, especially Ellen and Stanley Lattman.
To my parents, brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, thank you, loving family. I’m positive this whole cozy thing started in Big Bluesy.
Duke and Maude, always by my side.
Thank you, Hugh, Sage, and Moosey for everything you contributed to this book. Nothing would be cozy without you three spectacular individuals. Stay coze, my knunkers.
Peter, thank you, dear husband, for your love and support. I couldn’t have written this book, or any book, without you—that is true. I also can’t get our road trip last summer out of my head. Remember when we sang “True Sadness” by the Avett Brothers driving on that great highway in Idaho? We were looking out at the road ahead and sang in unison—loudly. That was cozy. I am so grateful to be in unison with you and looking in the same direction.
I asked friends, “What’s cozy to you?”
Grocery shopping, hooks to hang things on, Dr. Seuss books, snow days, old paperbacks, cats, having a meeting place, garlic cut up in olive oil, shells, museum cafeterias, the smell of my street in the morning, bath dragons, prayer, emojis, sleeping on trains, cold martinis, composting, painting in a studio, fudge, putting on an apron, everything in order, butchers, jigsaw puzzles, oatmeal raisin cookies, sound of a dishwasher running after dinner, smell of my grandfather’s house, water, having a friend live across the street, hammocks, getting makeup done, anything French, family dinner, my pickup truck, thinking about my parents in synagogue, post-surf sit on the beach, leftovers for breakfast, sound of kids talking in the other room, calling someone a genius, an oven mitt, the paths in Central Park, first sip of coffee, the shade, à La Colombe black & tan with a bodega bacon, egg, and cheese, succulent gardens, the smell of elementary school classrooms, circular tables, eating an egg standing up, ponds, babies on their stomachs, pizza in bed, carrying something small with you, photo albums, crayons, the billowing trail of a jet plane, when things are shaped to fit a corner, New York Times Cooking website, Christmas carols, minivans, carving wax, tying sneakers, clogs, dogs drinking water, cashmere socks, Boulevardiers, Smartwool socks, pulling on an ear, looking up movie times, baking pie, waiting in the wings of a theater, front pocket of my backpack, packing what I want, newspapers delivered to my door, getting into a warm bed, falling in love, birding, favorite jeans, reading to Ije, maple syrup, heated maple syrup, any bookstore anywhere, beans and rice, rice and dal, sewing name tags, a well-walked dog, ryokans, beeswax, candles, sitting by the fire (quite a few people said this), reading glasses, my hat.
What do you think is cozy?