Enormous gratitude to the Ucross Foundation and the Mississippi Arts Council for their generous support while I was working on this book. Thank you to my friends and readers: Tom Franklin, Alexander Chee, Mary Miller, Richard Lange, Megan Abbott, Ace Atkins, Deborah Barker, Jennifer Adrian, Beth Troncoso, Kelly Wilson, and Lindsay Schnetzer.
I owe a debt to Henry Dunow for believing in this project and coaxing it into shape. Thanks to my agent, Duvall Osteen, and my editors, Zachary Wagman and Angus Cargill.
Most of all, thank you to Chris Offutt, for everything, everything.