To Ace and George for pouring me a drink when I was lying in the mud. To Terry McCall for riding and smiling and laughing. To A. J. for holding off on the eviction. To the North Carolina Arts Council for believing I was something other than a bumbling drunkard. And, most important, to my agent, Julia Kenny; editor, Sara Minnich; and the entire team at Putnam, without whom my work would be illegible.