Thank you to Grove Atlantic: to my excellent editor Elisabeth Schmitz, and to Katie Raissian, Deb Seager, Julia Berner-Tobin, Sal Destro, Judy Hottensen, and Morgan Entrekin. Also to Bettina Abarbanell and Eva-Marie von Hippel at Berlin Verlag. Thank you to my honest, smart agent David McCormick, who thought I might give up, and to Susan Hobson and the rest of the team at McCormick Literary.
I wrote for two extended, productive periods at the residency at Art OMI: Writers. Before that, I am grateful to have attended the low-residency MFA program at Bennington College.
Thank you to Caterina Fake, Bryan Burk, Claire Sarti, David Boaretto, Stefanie Kubanek, and DW Gibson for encouraging me to write. Thank you to Ann Godoff and Ginny Smith-Younce at Penguin Press, and to Uschi Weissmueller, and to readers Ellen Graf, Hannah Blumenthal, and Mona Simpson. Thanks to Finn Taylor, Christina Redse, Linda Brennan, Jamie Brennan, Ron, Ilan, Debbie, and David for stories and thoughts about the past.
I am grateful to Lawrence and Hillary Levy, who helped with everything at every stage. And to Phillip Lopate, Susan Cheever, Kai Barry, and my mother—all of whom offered many years of support as I wrote this. I am also profoundly grateful to Jamie Quatro, who expertly and sensitively helped extract this book from a very long draft, and then found me my publisher.
Finally, thank you to Bill for his joy, optimism and care, and to wonderful Bodie and Julie, and to little Thomas for providing a deadline and even more joy.