Acknowledgments

Thank you first, and always, to my family. You know who you are. You are my life. Special thanks to Catherine and Tim for placing their trust in me.

Ann Patty, you made me do it. Your help and encouragement kept me at it. Thank you.

Luis Jaramillo, Heather Abel, Alison Hart, and Matthew Brookshire, thank you for our many writing weekends and glorious feasts. (Where’s that cookbook?)

Thank you also, Michele Mortimer, for your early support and reassurance.

Thank you, Hannah Verrill, for your open heart, and Bar Scott, for your friendship.

Robin Desser, Pam Dorman, Elisabeth Scharlatt, and Dan Frank, your kind words meant the world to me. Still do.

A thousand thanks to Nan Graham, for your thoughtful input and enthusiasm and support. I am beyond grateful. Thank you, Kara Watson, and all those at Scribner who helped in so many ways to make this a book. I appreciate everything you’ve done.

To the Oncology Support Memoir Workshop: Carol Dwyer, Blaze Ardman, Nancy Henry, Dean Lavin, Roberta Jehu, Kathy Burgher, Suzanne Dean, Juliet Harrison, Annie La Barge, Marjorie Leopold, Craig Mahwirt, Marge Roberts, Sharon Stonekey, Barbara Sarah, Phyllis Silvers, Micky Shorr, Robert Smith, and Ruth Wahtera. What can I say? You let me into your lives. You gave me the grit to finish this book. You show me how to live.

Finally, a special thanks to Stephen Dobyns, for a reason apparent to anyone familiar with his striking work.